Sabalenka beats Gauff in Miami final, completes "Sunshine Double"

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka beat hometown favourite Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Miami Open final on Saturday to join an exclusive club by completing ‌the coveted "Sunshine Double".

World No. 1 Sabalenka won 73% of her first-serve points and faced just ‌two break points en route to ‌victory in a rematch of the 2025 ‌French Open final won by Gauff.

Sabalenka ⁠raced out ‌to a 2-0 lead but Gauff, from nearby Delray Beach and appearing in her first Miami final, got on the board with a love hold and then repelled three ‌break points in her next service game to get to 3-2.

But Sabalenka did not lose focus and eventually went up a double break on the world number four before closing out a dominant opening on her serve. There was very little to separate the two players in the middle set which remained ⁠on serve until Gauff broke ⁠Sabalenka for the only time in ⁠the match to force a third set. 

Sabalenka broke Gauff to open the decider, held at love in two consecutive service ‌games to go 5-3 up and then sealed the victory with ‌her fourth break of the ⁠match when Gauff sent a backhand wide. The Belarusian becomes only the fifth ‌woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back.