Aryna Sabalenka said she will be looking to give her best when she takes on Elena Rybakina in the Indian Wells final on Sunday, March 15. Sabalenka will also seek revenge afterwards Rybakina defeated her in the Australian Open final earlier this year. Belarus have a slight edge in their head-to-head, having won eight of their 15 matches since 2019.
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Sabalenka also admitted that she is determined to end her losing streak in the finals. Since 2025, she has suffered several heartbreaks in title matches, including back-to-back losses at the Australian Open and the 2025 French Open, where she was defeated by Coco Gauff. She also failed in the WTA finals when she lost the championship match to Rybakina.
In fact, Sabalenkova, who will be playing in her third Indian Wells final in four years, has suffered four consecutive defeats against Rybakin in the final. In 2023, Rybakina defeated Sabalenkova 7-6, 6-4 in the final at this very tournament.
“I’m so done with losing these big finals. I felt like even though the players played incredible tennis in those finals, I had so many opportunities that I didn’t take. And right now, my mentality – if I get to the final – is that I’m going to go there and do everything to win that trophy,” Sabalenka said.
SABALENKA STEPS FORWARD
Sabalenka was outstanding in Indian Wells and produced a near-flawless run to reach the final without dropping a set. The world number one opened her campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Himeno Sakatsume, followed by a 6-4, 6-1 win against Jaqueline Cristian before sweeping Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 in the last 16.
In the quarterfinals, Sabalenkova dealt with up-and-coming Canadian Victoria Mboko 7-6(0), 6-4, then defeated Linda Nosková 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals to secure her place in the title race.
By reaching the championship match, Sabalenkova became the first woman to reach back-to-back Indian Wells finals as a world No. 1 since the women’s event began in 1989. She entered the finals with an impressive 16-1 record in the 2026 season, with her only loss this year coming against Elena Rybakin at Melbourne Park.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
15 March 2026 18:38 IST
