By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday March 29, 2025
Aryna Sabalenka finished off her Miami title run with a straight-sets win over Jessica Pegula.
Photo Source: TC
In the first Women’s Singles final at the Miami Open between two players ranked in the WTA’s top five since 2014 – Serena Williams and Li Na – it was the World No.1 who held sway over the proceedings and came away with the prestigious title.
On an overcast Saturday afternoon inside the Hard Rock Stadium Aryna Sabalenka continued her recent mastery of fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula, 7-5, 6-2, to earn his first Miami Open title and her eighth at the 1000 level.
Sabalenka has now won three matches in a row against Pegula, all of them coming at prestigious finals: last year at Cincinnati and the US Open, before today’s Miami moment.
"Jess, I'm so sorry - if I could share the trophy with anyone... I would share it with you," Sabalenka said during the trophy ceremony. "You are an incredible player."
"I really don't want to like you right now," Pegula said to her rival. "But you're the best player in the world for a reason, you keep pushing everybody and challenging everybody to get better, so congrats."
In total, Sabalenka has won seven of her last eight against the Buffalo, NY native, and she claims her 17th hard court title, and 19th overall, without having dropped a single set.
Her run to the title was by no means a cakewalk. She defeated defending champion Danielle Collins and then topped three consecutive Top 10 talents (No.9 Zheng Qinwen, No.7 Jasmine Paolini and No.4 Pegula) en route to her triumph.
31-year-old Pegula, the tenth oldest Miami Open women's singles finalist, made an impact in the opening set by reeling off three consecutive games after falling behind 2-0, but her fortunes shifted immediately thereafter.
A beautiful lob after a protracted rally that featured a few moonballs and a lucky netcord bounce that lured Pegula into a compromising position at the net allowed Sabalenka to notch a break for 5-3.
Even though the three-time Slam champion was quickly pegged back as the Buffalo native broke back for 4-5 in the next game, then consolideated for 5-all, it was clear that Sabalenka had tilted the court in her favor.
5-all was Sabalenka’s cue to flex her muscles and she did just that, trampling through eight points on the trot as she locked up the opening set, 7-5.
Having lost the Indian Wells final from a set up against teen wunderkind Mirra Andreeva, Sabalenka was careful not to let her intensity or belief drop.
Pegula announced her intent with a break in the opening game of set two, but her serving troubles continued in the next game, as Sabalenka converted her fifth break of the afternoon to erase the deficit.
The World No.1’s lethal forehand was the most dominant shot on the court during Saturday’s final and the Belarusian’s 20th winner off of that wing allowed her to convert her fourth break point of the fourth game of set two for a 3-1 lead.
The 26-year-old quickly consolidated for 4-1, the finish line now beckoning.
Moments later it was the backhand that put the nail in Pegula’s coffin, as Sabalenka rifled a passing shot up the line that glanced off the American’s racquet and into the crowd, ending the final in one hour and 29 minutes.