Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the final of the Miami Open on March 3, 2026, extending her lead over Iga Świątek in the WTA rankings.
The victory marks Sabalenka’s second title of the season, following her triumph in Brisbane earlier in the year. She had previously reached the finals of the Australian Open and Indian Wells, where she faced unexpected defeats. The Belarusian player overcame a challenging match against Pegula, a former US Open semi-finalist, to secure the win.
The Miami Open featured a full field of the world’s top players for the first time since the Australian Open. Sabalenka’s absence from events in the Middle East and Pegula’s from Doha meant both players were eager to prove their form on hard courts.
Iga Świątek, currently ranked second in the world, is preparing for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, a tournament where she has enjoyed considerable success, winning titles in 2022 and 2024 and reaching the semi-finals in 2023 and 2025. Świątek has been training in California for several days, with a two-hour session held on Stadium 2 on Sunday. She will begin her campaign in Indian Wells on Friday or Saturday due to a bye in the first round.
The draw for the WTA Indian Wells tournament has been made. Świątek’s potential path includes a second-round match against Francesca Jones or a qualifier, a possible third-round rematch against Maria Sakkari and potential quarterfinal clashes with Barbora Krejčíková, Warwara Gracheva, or Lilli Tagger. A potential eighth-final matchup with Markéta Vondroušová looms, followed by a possible quarterfinal against Mirra Andreeva or Elina Svitolina. In the semi-finals, she could face Jelena Rybakina, Pegula, Belinda Bencic, or Madison Keys.
Magda Linette and Magdalena Fręch will also compete in Indian Wells, starting from the first round. Linette will face Ashlyn Krueger, even as Fręch will play a qualifier. Linette could then face Ludmila Samsonova, and Fręch could potentially meet Belinda Bencic.
On the men’s side, Kamil Majchrzak will play Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, with a potential second-round match against Novak Djokovic. Hubert Hurkacz will face Aleksandar Kovacevic, with a possible second-round encounter against Corentin Moutet and a potential third-round match against Majchrzak or Djokovic.
