Rock Star: Sabalenka Beats Heat and Mboko for Indian Wells Semifinals

By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, March 12, 2026
Photo credit: BNP Paribas Open Facebook

INDIAN WELLS—Aryna Sabalenka started the tournament sporting a glittering prize.

World No. 1 Sabalenka took a major step toward raising a maiden Indian Wells trophy today.

Two-time finalist Sabalenka did not drop serve defeating talented Canadian Victoria Mboko 7-6(0), 6-4 charging into the BNP Paribas Open semifinals. It’s the fourth straight year the top seed has made the final four at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Fending off Montreal champion Mboko and scalding 91-degree heat on Stadium 1, Sabalenka served up another authoritative performance.

Sabalenka served 61 percent and saved all five break points she faced scoring her fourth consecutive straight-sets win of the tournament against a tough opponent. Sabalenka has dropped serve only once in returning to the Indian Wells semifinals.

Afterward, Sabalenka embraced Mboko at net then praised her as a future major champion.

“Definitely a future star, future Grand Slam champion—that’s for sure— no doubt,” Sabalenka said of Mboko. “Incredible to see this young girl these days they go after their shots they’re aggressive. It’s incredible to see. 

“For sure we’re gonna play many more matches in the future. Happy with the win even though a couple of things weren’t working. I think she’d didn’t break so I’m happy with, that happy with the win of course.”

The 10th-seeded Mboko earned three break points in a punishing third game that spanned 14 points. Each time she was tested amid break-point pressure, Sabalenka answered with authority, eventually holding for 2-1.

The Sabalenka serve and forehand were key strokes today. She challenge Mboko in forehand exchanges. While the Canadian owns a fine forehand, she was sometimes a little late trying to change direction down the line and paid the price in the first-set tiebreaker.

Mboko netted back-to-back forehands as Sabalenka sped to a 4-0 lead. Banging a backhand return brought Sabalenka a fistful of set points at 6-0 and she sealed the set on her first set point.

Sabalenka said her tiebreaker dominance comes down to point-by-point focus.

“I’m not really thinking about the record that I have [in tiebreakers],” Sabalenka said. “I just try to play point by point, trying to stick to the game plan and stay aggressive, and then basically, yeah, take it one step at a time.”

Mboko missed a running forehand down the line long to face break point in the fifth game of set two. 

Stepping in to return, Sabalenka stroked a backhand return forcing an errant backhand reply for the first break of the day and a 3-2 second-set lead.

“I had a lot of chances in the first set. And, I mean, it’s unfortunate that I was unable to kind of take them as much as I could, but she was playing really well, especially on pressure points,” Mboko said. “I gotta give credit to her there.

“Yeah, I feel like sometimes I was, like, maybe one or two points away from kind of maybe changing how the first set would have went and changing the momentum. But yeah, that’s something I could work on for the next time, yeah.”

Turning her hips and shoulders into a big backhand crosscourt, Sabalenka held for 5-3 and closed on her first match point.

The 27-year-old Belarusian began this tournament announcing her engagement to boyfriend Georgios Frangulis. Sabalenka has sported an engagement rock on her ring finger and joked the weight of that diamond ring has given her heavy forehand even more force.  

Sabalenka, who defeated Mboko 6-1, 7-6(1) in the Australian Open fourth round before bowing to Elena Rybakina in the three-set AO final, said she’s intent on collecting more glitter in the desert this weekend. 

“I really consider this tournament the fifth grand slam so I’d really like to get this trophy—the big one,” Sabalenka said. ”[The ring]  that’s just extra heaviness with my forehand.”

The owner of 22 singles championships, Sabalenka improved to 15-1 on the season. Next up for Sabalenka is a semifinal against either 14th-seeded Czech Linda Noskova or Aussie qualifier Talia Gibson for a spot in Sunday’s 11 a.m. final on the line.