Sabalenka wins first Indian Wells title with win over Rybakina Tennis News

The world number one avenged her loss to the Kazakh in the 2026 Australian Open final with a win over Elena Rybakina.

World number one Arina Sabalenka conquered her Indian Wells demons on Sunday, beating Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, ⁠7-6(6) in a thrilling final to claim her first desert title and secure the 23rd crown of her career.

The win was sweet redemption for the Belarusian, who had lost her previous two Indian Wells finals, including to Rybakina herself in 2023, and had started the year with a 26-year-old defeat of the Kazakh in the Australian Open final in January.

A two-time Grand Slam champion, Rybakina dominated the opening exchanges of the first set, lifting Sabalenka to a 4-2 lead before using a Belarusian backhand to close it out. Sabalenka dropped a set for the first time in the tournament.

The second set didn’t get any more comfortable, Sabalenka letting out an audible scream when Rybakina broke her in the opening game. But the four-time Belarusian Grand Slam champion dug deep, responded with a love hold for a 1-1 draw and gradually turned the tide.

A second break in the fourth game gave Sabalenka a 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 level at 5-5 and take the lead for the first time in the set. Sabalenka immediately responded to force a tiebreak where the score reached 6-6 before she pulled clear to seal it at 8-6.

With that final point, Sabalenka fell 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 will face each other many more times,” Sabalenka said before accepting the trophy. “Thank you to everyone who made this tournament possible. It really is a tennis paradise. I’m always happy to come here every year and I got this trophy and thank God.”

The win capped off an extraordinary week for the 27-year-old, who arrived in the Coachella Valley after recently getting engaged to her Brazilian fiance Georgios Frangulis.

“It’s a dream come true. I want to thank my team for always being there, and my fiance — one week! Getting a puppy, getting engaged and winning a title. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life,” she said.

With their rivalry set to define the women’s game for years to come, Sabalenka now holds the edge with a 9-7 head-to-head lead. Both players are separated by one ranking spot – Rybakina’s run to the final will lift her to second in next week’s rankings.