World number one Aryna Sabalenka finally conquered her Indian Wells demons on Sunday, defeating Elena Rybakina 3-6 6-3 7-6(6) in a breathless final to claim the desert title for the first time and secure her 23rd career crown.
The victory was sweet redemption for the Belarusian, who had lost her previous two Indian Wells finals, including to Rybakina herself in 2023, and had begun the year with a defeat to the Kazakh 26-year-old in the Australian Open final in January.
Rybakina, a two-time Grand Slam champion, dominated the opening exchanges of the first set, breaking Sabalenka to surge into a 4-2 lead and exploiting the Belarusian's backhand to close it out. It was the first time Sabalenka had dropped a set in the tournament.
The second set began no more comfortably, with Sabalenka letting out an audible yell as Rybakina broke her in the opening game. But the four-time Grand Slam champion dug deep, responding with a love hold to level at 1-1, and gradually turned the tide.
A second break in the fourth game gave Sabalenka a commanding 4-1 lead, and although Rybakina pressed, the Belarusian's intensity proved too much, as she took the set with four aces and conceded nine unforced errors to Rybakina's 13.
The decider was a match in itself. Sabalenka broke early to lead 3-1, only for Rybakina to claw back, level at 5-5 and take the lead for the first time in the set. Sabalenka responded immediately to force a tiebreak, where the score reached 6-6 before she pulled clear to seal it 8-6.
With that final point, Sabalenka dropped to her knees — the relief of a champion who had waited three years and endured three finals to finally get her hands on the trophy.
"I want to congratulate Elena. I know we'll face each other many more times," Sabalenka said before receiving the trophy. "Thanks to everyone who made this tournament possible — it is truly a tennis paradise. I'm always happy to come here every year, and thank God I got this trophy."
The win caps an extraordinary week for the 27-year-old, who arrived in the Coachella Valley having recently got engaged to her Brazilian fiancee Georgios Frangulis.
"This is a dream come true. I want to thank my team for always being there, and my fiancee — what a week! Getting a puppy, getting engaged, and winning a title. I'll remember it for the rest of my life," she added.
With their rivalry set to define the women's game for years to come, Sabalenka now has the edge with a 9–7 head-to-head lead. Both players are separated by one ranking place — Rybakina's run to the final will lift her to number two in next week's rankings.
