Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina 6-4, 6-3 in the Miami Open semi-finals on Thursday to set up a final clash with Coco Gauff. The Belarusian, ranked world No. 2, produced a dominant performance to secure her second win over Rybakina this month, following their battles in the Australian Open and Indian Wells finals earlier this season.
Sabalenka acknowledged the challenge posed by Gauff, who has won their two grand slam finals, at the 2023 US Open and 2024 French Open. 'She's a fighter,' Sabalenka said. 'We played a lot of tight matches and big finals. I'm really excited to face her in the final. It's going to be a great battle.' The head-to-head record between the two stands at 6-6, with Gauff winning both major finals in three sets.
Gauff earlier cruised into the final with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Karolina Muchova, improving her perfect record against the Czech to 6-0. The American, playing in her home tournament, continued her impressive form after winning the WTA 1000 title in Doha last month. Muchova had arrived in good form but struggled against Gauff's defensive skills and consistency.
Sabalenka reflected on the difficulty of facing Gauff, saying: 'With Coco, you know that you have to play an extra ball and the ball always comes back. You have to be aggressive and go for your shots, but she pushes you into long rallies.' The Belarusian previously made unsportsmanlike comments after losing to Gauff at the French Open but later apologised, and the pair reconciled with a TikTok dance video before Wimbledon.
Gauff, when asked about her dominant head-to-head record against Muchova, laughed off suggestions of a term like 'daddy' used by some American male players. 'I don't think daddy's the term. I don't think mommy's the term either. Dominatrix? I don't know,' she said. 'I know I have some matches where I'm on the losing end too. I'm just going to say it was a good day, I'm lucky.'
