Queen Clutch Sabalenka Saves Match Point, Outduels Rybakina to Win IW Crown in Classic

By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, March 15, 2026
Photo credit: BNP Paribas Open Facebook

INDIAN WELLS—Sunrays struck Aryna Sabalenka’s face like sharp stones and stressed spiked scar tissue haunting her head.

Staring down nemesis Elena Rybakina—and down championship point—Sabalenka narrowed her eyes and hammered her way to history.

Sabalenka slashed a bold backhand strike to save championship point and level the breaker at 6-all

Then world No. 1 slammed a crackling closing serve. Sabalenka dynamite detonated this desert duel in a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) victory over Rybakina. Sabalenka capturing her maiden BNP Paribas Open crown in a classic while solidifying her status as a premier tiebreaker performer in Open Era history.

It all added up to Sabalenka’s 23rd career title, her 20th on hard court, and snapped her four-final losing streak to Rybakina, who broke her heart in the Australian Open final.

“Thank God I got this trophy,” a beaming Sabalenka said in the afterglow. “What a week. Getting a puppy, getting engaged and winning a title.

“I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

This was two hours and 31-minutes of desert drama, a raging rematch of the 2023 Indian Wells final and 2026 Australian Open finals both won by a resolute Rybakina, who has been the better big match player of the powerful pair of closers.

In the end, it was like a tennis twist on Thelma & Louise: Instead of driving each other off a cliff, these two champions took Stadium 1 fans to the emotional edge then jammed on the gas driving them into a state of delirium. 

“It was super hot. I was dying there in the tiebreak, but I also saw that she was also not feeling her best,” Sabalenka said. “So I was trying to push myself basically to the limit.

“I’m super happy that in those last three points of the match, I was able to pull out really great tennis and get the win.”

Missing her match point moment, Rybakina said Sabalenka brought a slightly stronger energy level to crunch time and that made all the difference.

“So we both trying to change some things, and in the important moments, I think the difference is of this extra energy, extra push, and for me I had the one match point and she returned pretty well, so it’s tough to say,” Rybakina said. “But from my side, I could say that I should have done better in the second set, somehow find this energy maybe, or I don’t know.

“But I can say that I did everything possible, but still, if you have this little difference, and I had a match point, so I could have done better in the end.”

Tagged as a strong No. 1 with a penchant for erupting in road rage when the ride roughens–the top seed carried a 22-20 finals record onto Stadium 1 cauldron today—Sabalenka showed why she’s a worthy No. 1. At the Australian Open, Sabalenka beat Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6(1) to win her Open Era record 20th straight tiebreaker in Grand Slams, breaking Novak Djokovic’s record. She’s undefeated in 2026 tiebreakers with her last breaker loss coming to Rybakina in the WTA Finals title match.

After failing to serve out the final at 5-4, Sabalenka earned five break points in the 11th game—one point from serving for the title again. 

Tugging on her vanilla visor, Rybakina went full warrior mode. In a Sampras-esque serving show, Rybakina fought off five break points in the 11th game—including serve winners on fourth of the give break points—earning a heartbreaker hold for 6-5. 

The next 15 minutes Sabalenka rode a wild road slamming down a love hold to force the final tiebreaker—she was probably wondering where they hell was that when I served for it at 5-4—and working her way to a 5-4 tiebreaker lead.

Dizzying drama escalated: Rybakina rapped a backhand strike down the line for championship point at 6-5. 

The most pivotal point of the day would bring most to their knees.

Rising up, Sabalenka went full primal force blasting that backhand with a shout contorting championship point into declaration drive preceded by flashbacks to Melbourne.

“I have seen that match point at the Australian Open that she had, I don’t know how many times it was in my face,” Sabalenka said. “I remember, like, okay, I was standing there thinking, okay, I’ve got to cover a wide serve, and I left T serve for her to ace it or whatever.

“So lucky me, she served again wide serve, and I just covered that side. And doesn’t matter how fast the serve is, I know that I can block it and I can return. So I got super lucky in that point. I pulled out really great two shots, and I feel like that was the moment that gave me so much, I don’t know, so much mental power.

“Yeah, I got lucky. I got lucky in some points and unlucky then, so I guess it’s all balanced.”

Two points later Sabalenka screamed a serve down the T capping the best match of the year—and Indian Wells’ final classic—and Sabalenka’s second title of the year.

Tennis’ undisputed tiebreak ruler is officially desert queen.

 In her six-match march to the title, Sabalenka surrendered only one set—and embraced euphoria for her courageous comeback in the WTA match of the year.

Dancing on the ledge of loss today, Sabalenka was swaying in success raising the title trophy on the raised stage.

It was a final of role reversal: Rybakina had stopped Sabalenka in four of their five finals meetings, including the WTA Finals and Australian Open title match on January 31st.

Spiraling through a five-game slide,  Rybakina reeled off six of the last seven games stunning world No. 1 Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to capture her maiden Australian Open championship with a committed comeback six weeks ago.

The 27-year-old Sabalenka started this even sporting a huge engagement rock on her ring finger after boyfriend Georgios Frangulis proposed. 

Down championship point today, Sabalenka was a stone cold rock star commanding the second-biggest stage in American tennis with conviction to improve to 17-1 on the season, including 8-1 vs. Top 20 foes. 

Spare a thought for Rybakina. Seizing control late, Rybakina hit more winners—42 to 29—earned more break points (9 to 8) and won an impressive 70 percent of her second-serve points, but Sabalenka won this title more than Rybakina lost it.

“I think I was battling more with myself and with the sun and the energy level,” said Rybakina, who sometimes scanned at the prickly sun as if longing for the Rod Laver Arena roof. “But definitely her serve is not easy to return, if it’s first serve or she’s going with a kick.

“But in these matches, you need to have energy, you need to move well because she plays fast.”

And remember all this craziness occurred while the pair battled 95-degree swelter that would straitjacket most mortals in pain.

But they embraced it and gave us a glorious, pulsating final in Tennis Paradise.

At the outset, Rybakina was winning the crosscourt exchanges and changing direction decisively with her backhand drive down the line. A Rybakina backhand strike down the line followed by a Sabalenka error gave the Kazakh double break point. Rybakina ripped a return right down the middle jamming the top seed to rattle out the break for 4-2.

Confirming the break with command, Rybakina rocketed two aces, tearing through a love hold for a 5-2 lead.

Serving for the set, Rybakina rallied from Love-30 down. Rifling her fourth ace down the T brought her set point.

When Sabalenka scattered a backhand down the line wide, Rybakina wrapped up a strong first set in 30 minutes.

The third-seeded Rybakina won 20 of 25 points played on her serve and beat down the world No. 1 in crosscourt forehand exchanges controlling the opening set.

Surprisingly, Rybakina slowed her roll by opting for the bathroom break after that superb set. Afterward, Rybakina shared the sun slowed her surge and she needed chill time.

“I think the sun was pretty strong, and I would say that it hit me in the second set quite a lot,” Rybakina said. “I really couldn’t push much. I was trying to give myself time.

“I went also after first set, because I needed some cool air. Honestly, I think the first set I played really well, and I was much more with the energy.

“Second set, big drop. Then in the third, I think for both of us was quite difficult. We had just to push and do as maximum as we could.”

The pair traded breaks to open then Sabalenka dug in and denied two break points navigating a four-deuce game to hold for 2-1.

Cruising through serve throughout the first set, Rybakina double faulted to completely gift a second straight break to Sabalenka. Though she hadn’t applied her variety too much to that point, Sabalenka dabbed a drop shot to hold at 15 extending her second-set lead to 4-1.

Serving for the set, Sabalenka stared down break-point stress.

Then, the US Open champion stared at the service box like a diva gazing into a make-up mirror before going on stage.

Commanding the court, Sabalenka played a patch of points that showed why she’s No. 1. A brilliant backhand strike down the line, a sliding ace out wide and screaming serve later, Sabalenka sealed the second set rattling her racquet toward her box in a show of strength.

On court temperature blazed beyond 94 and Sabalenka looked empowered while the Australian Open champion looked a little more strained.

All that was a prelude to a thrill ride of a final set. At one point during the pulsating final set, I felt the sudden urge for one of those oxygen in a can blasts.

If you have true tennis passion, treat yourself to a replay of that final set, sit back and enjoy.

A jarring Sabalenka backhand earned the first break for 2-1 in the decider. Sabalenka worked out a deuce hold for a 3-1 lead.

At that point, Rybakina’s coach was wearing a white towel draped over a white baseball cap trying to diminish 95-degree blistering heat, but the two-time major champion wasn’t waving the white flag. Rybakina painted the back edge of the baseline holding for 2-3. 

Three-time finalist Sabalenka saved two break points–pounding a backhand winner and whipping an ace wide—in holding for 5-3. Sabalenka tried the dropper, but Rybakina summed a Martina Hingis-style volley lob and tapped an overhead breaking for 5-all.

That manic, magical and seemingly pivotal 11th game showed why WTA ace leader Rybakina—one of only two women along with Karolina Pliskova to pump 500-plus aces in a single season—showed why she’s the most dangerous server in the game completely disarming the No. 1 with dagger serves. In a staggering serving display, Rybakina threw a 117 mph bomb down the T as she held for 6-5.

So with memories of her Melbourne collapse, her failure to serve out the title at 5-4 and Rybakina’s rousing stand all crashing the walls of self-belief with marauders menace, Sabalenka showed a steely spine and champion’s conviction.

Consider Sabalenka defeated two former Grand Slam champions in Rybakin and Naomi Osaka as well as Montreal champion Victoria Mboko, whom I believe will be a multiple major champion if she’s healthy, in a rousing ride or die road trip.

Sabalenka plans to celebrate California style: Martinis and burgers.

“I guess a couple espresso martinis, probably, and Five Guys to go,” Sabalenka said. “Basically, that’s why I’m never in good shape, because it’s Five Guys and espresso martinis in celebration (laughing). Yeah, I guess that’s it. Maybe a couple drinks just to cheer ourselves.

“And that’s it, because the schedule is really tight and we’re on to the next one, and I cannot relax too much, because I’m defending champion there, and also, it’s Miami. I love being there, playing there, so I want to do well there, as well.

“So I will try to stay loose but focused. I guess it’s, again, going into the balancing everything, so I will try to balance it the best way possible.”

This is the first Indian Wells women’s singles final between two players ranked in the Top 3 since No.1 Victoria Azarenka defeated No.2 Maria Sharapova in 2012

Once branded a talented head case, Tiebreak Queen Sabalenka showed the heart, head and sheer guts on championship points to rightfully rule as Desert Queen.

Long may this rivalry rule as it’s a blast to watch two damaging ball strikers.