MIAMI: World number one Aryna Sabalenka held off fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday to claim her second straight Miami Open WTA 1000 title.
Sabalenka, fresh off her first Indian Wells triumph, became the fifth woman to sweep the “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells and Miami and the first since Iga Swiatek in 2022.
The Belarusian star, whose only defeat this year was her Australian Open finals loss to Elena Rybakina, handed Gauff her first career defeat in a hardcourt final.
The American had won her first nine, including a triumph over Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open championship match.
Gauff had also beaten the Belarusian for the title on the red clay of Roland Garros last year.
