You know, Aryna Sabalenka has been right there, on the cusp of a huge March title, for a while now. Two Indian Wells runner-up finishes, a Miami campaign that never quite clicked—until now. After those tough losses in the Australian Open and Indian Wells finals this year, you might have wondered if she could seal the deal in a big one. But if there’s one thing Sabalenka does, it’s bounce back strong. And that’s exactly what she did on Saturday, taking home the Miami Open trophy and proving she can definitely close out these major hard-court events. Plus, it broke that streak of final losses, which had to feel good. Even Rick Macci, Serena Williams’ former coach, took notice.

In Saturday’s final, the top-seeded Belarusian faced fourth seed Jessica Pegula. She didn’t just win—she dominated, clinching a 7-5, 6-2 victory. The first set was a rollercoaster with seven breaks of serve, both players taking turns in the driver’s seat. But at 5-5, Sabalenka broke Pegula to love, seizing the momentum. From there, she never let go.

Pegula struggled against Sabalenka’s relentless power, her serve faltering under pressure. While Pegula managed only 12 winners, Sabalenka fired an impressive 31, bludgeoning her way to the title. When she broke Pegula at 5-2 in the second set, the match and the championship were hers. She had stormed through the Miami Open without dropping a set. Are you impressed? Rick Macci definitely is!

Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, applauded Sabalenka’s fearless approach. Taking to X, he wrote, “What I love most about Sabalenka and her game is THE BIG C. Courage. There is a fine line between Courage and Stupidity. But she tries to deal the cards and run the show every match. BANG! Zero Fear from Ear to Ear @SabalenkaAryna.” Well, he had more!

The 70-year-old went on to pinpoint her best assets and said, “3 big ticket items/ Forehand Backhand Serve as a Package is Biomechanically By Far the best of the rest. That alone in a BALL STRIKING REPETITIVE SPORT makes Sabalenka more Armed/ Dangerous than any player. You cannot have everything but she goes into combat with most powerful weapons. @SabalenkaA”

Let’s face it. Sabalenka’s journey to the top hasn’t been without setbacks. Just two years ago, she struggled massively with her serve, racking up 428 double faults in a single season. At one point, her confidence was so low that she resorted to underarm serves just to get the ball in play. But instead of letting it break her, she learned from it. In the final match, she fired 3 aces and had 66% of her first serves go in. The World No.1’s post-match interview gave insight into her determined mindset.

“I struggled a lot in the past with a lot of different things, so I went through really different challenges, and I was struggling with my serve so much, I couldn’t serve for a while, so I had to play without the serve,” she told reporters in Miami. “I think that was the moment when I realized that I actually have other weapons in my game and strengths, and I can actually win the match even if my serve is not working.”

“Going into this match, I had the mentality that no matter what happens, if she’s gonna break me, I had the mentality to stay there, to focus on myself, to fight for every point no matter what,” she said. “I didn’t want to lose another final, to be honest. It’s really tough to lose in the final. So if someone would say that, I’d be, like, ‘OK, it’s going to be a battle, I’m ready for that,’” she added.

This title doesn’t just add another trophy to her cabinet, it also places her in an elite company.

Aryna Sabalenka matches Serena Williams’ milestone after Miami Open title

Over a decade ago, in 2014, Serena Williams, who first played in the Miami event as a 16-year-old, defeated three top-10 opponents—Angelique Kerber (quarters), Maria Sharapova (semis), and Li Na (final) to win the Miami Open title. This year, Aryna Sabalenka matched this feat by defeating three top-10 players in a row—Zheng Qinwen (quarters), Jasmine Paolini (semis), and Jessica Pegula (final). While Williams had dropped a set, Sabalenka dropped none.

Her path to the title showed just how dominant she was. In the quarterfinals, she brushed aside Zheng 6-2, 7-5. The semifinals were even more one-sided, as she dispatched Paolini 6-2, 6-2. Against Pegula, she was tested but stayed composed, ensuring her name would go down in history alongside one of the sport’s greatest. That’s right!

Sabalenka’s recent victory marks her eighth WTA 1000 singles title, putting her level with Maria Sharapova. Since the introduction of the WTA 1000 tier in 2009, only Serena Williams (13), Victoria Azarenka, Iga Swiatek (both with 10), Simona Halep, and Petra Kvitova (both with 9) have accumulated more such titles.

Moreover, Sabalenka’s Miami Open victory makes her only the fourth player this century to win the tournament while holding the world number one ranking. The other three are Martina Hingis (2000), Serena Williams (2003, 2013, 2014, 2015), and Ashleigh Barty (2021).

With the Miami Open in the books, the clay season looms. Aryna Sabalenka’s game has always been built for power, but can she finally crack the clay and add a major title on the surface? That’s the next challenge. And she knows it. What do you think?