Hard courts are definitely Aryna Sabalenka`s preferred surface, perfectly suited for her powerful style of play.
Her dominant form was on full display during her 7-5, 6-2 victory over Jessica Pegula in the Miami Open final on Saturday. Currently, on fast hard courts, she appears to be unmatched.
Pegula, ranked No. 4 in the world and who would have moved to No. 3 with a victory, also excels on hard courts. However, Sabalenka has defeated her in seven of their last eight encounters, all in straight sets.
In a crucial moment during the first set, at 5-5 and 0-15 on her serve, Sabalenka demonstrated her resilience, winning the subsequent nine points to seize the set and eventually the match about 40 minutes later.
Pegula commented afterwards, “I think she consistently elevates her game during critical moments of the match when necessary. That proved to be the decisive factor today and in our recent matches.”
Over the past two years at hard-court Grand Slam events, if you were to bet on Sabalenka against any other player, you would be correct three out of five times. Her dominance in women’s tennis is evident in several ways. Sabalenka has:
- Accumulated 10,541 points in the PIF WTA rankings, surpassing No. 2 Iga Swiatek by over 3,000 points. Notably, she has no points to defend at Wimbledon.
- Achieved the most match wins this year among women (23), including the most straight-set wins (20), and has reached the most finals (four).
- Maintained a 12-2 record against Top 10 players since last year and has hit the most winners this year (716).
Interestingly, Sabalenka reached the finals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells earlier this year, making her only the third woman to reach the finals of Melbourne, Indian Wells, and Miami in the same season.
For only the second time in her career, Sabalenka overcame three Top 10 opponents – No. 4 Pegula, No. 7 Jasmine Paolini, and No. 9 Zheng Qinwen – en route to securing her first Miami Open title in seven attempts. She conceded only 30 games throughout her six matches.
With six WTA 1000 hard-court titles, Sabalenka trails only Victoria Azarenka (10) and Serena Williams (eight). At 26, she appears to be just beginning her reign.
Sabalenka’s powerful game has evolved subtly. While her ace count might be down, she is serving more effectively by aiming for her targets with slightly more control. She’s also incorporated more drop shots, but her most significant improvement this year is her slice. Against Pegula, almost 20 percent of her shots were slices, enhancing the effectiveness of her heavy top-spin groundstrokes.
Pegula noted, “Her movement has improved significantly, and she has incorporated slices and drop shots – she`s become more adept at these finesse shots. While her aggressive play is well-known, it’s her ability to integrate these subtle skills that amplifies her aggressive game.”
After her victory, Sabalenka mentioned looking forward to relaxing in Miami and celebrating with her team, in a brief interview.
You seemed very focused on winning your first Miami title, especially since you’ve been living here for over three years. Why was this win so important to you?
Sabalenka: It was crucial because I hadn`t performed my best in the last couple of finals, and I wanted to avoid that becoming a mental block. I`m extremely happy I managed my emotions and played my best. Plus, playing at home is fantastic. Having this trophy at home is very meaningful and will always bring back great memories.
Statistics show you used slice shots nearly 20 percent of the time. How does this tactic make you a more challenging opponent?
Sabalenka: I value variety in my game. It`s essential to have that option. Overpowering shots alone isn`t enough to be the best. We`ve worked hard to achieve these stats, which is very special and important. We will continue to develop the variety in my game.
Fun Fact: Since your tour debut in 2017, you`ve won the most hard-court titles (17), five more than Iga Swiatek, who is second. Your thoughts?
Sabalenka: Wow, that`s incredible! But if we look at clay-court stats, I’d probably be far behind Iga. It’s impressive to see and means a lot because I work very hard, so these results are amazing.
You are over 3,000 points ahead of No. 2 Swiatek in the rankings and have no Wimbledon points to defend. How does that feel?
Sabalenka: I honestly don’t focus on it much. But it’s a good lead. I’ll continue to concentrate on improving myself and ensuring I play my best each time. I hope to keep extending my lead [laughing].
How excited are you for the upcoming clay season?
Sabalenka: I`m starting in Stuttgart, then Madrid, Rome, and Paris. I enjoy playing on clay. Some question my clay game, but I know I can perform well. We’ll focus on fitness to ensure I can sustain long rallies throughout matches. I’m excited and hope to perform strongly.
You reached two clay finals last year (Madrid and Rome). Will you win a clay title this year?
Sabalenka: Haha! Good question. I wish I could just say, ‘Yes, I will win, and that’s it.’ I don’t know, but I’ll bring my best energy and fight for every point. And I hope—I hope—to lift those beautiful trophies.
Rupert Caldwell