Aryna Sabalenka edged Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) to win the Indian Wells title on March 16, 2026. The victory improved her head-to-head record against the Kazakh to 9-7. Sabalenka praised Rybakina as the kindest player on tour despite painful past losses.
In a dramatic three-set battle under desert conditions lasting over two and a half hours, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka claimed her second title of 2026 by defeating Elena Rybakina in the Indian Wells final. The Belarusian prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6), snapping Rybakina's 12-match winning streak against top-10 opponents. Sabalenka entered with a poor record in title clashes against Rybakina, having lost four of five, including the Australian Open final nearly two months prior and the 2023 Indian Wells final. Yet she held her nerve, winning 15 of 22 second-serve points in the decider and key points in the tiebreak despite Rybakina winning more total points (104-100) and firing 12 aces to Sabalenka's 10. Both held 80 percent of service games, with Sabalenka striking 29 winners overall. This marked her 23rd WTA singles title, 10th WTA 1000 trophy, and 20th hard-court win, plus her 58th victory over a top-10 foe. She has now won 17 of her last 18 matches. Reflecting on the rivalry, Sabalenka said, “Yeah, she’s a nice one. I would say that she’s the kindest one on tour... I really enjoy our rivalry. So, yeah, I like her as a person, as a player, and I enjoy these battles. But I really hope that I’m gonna win all of them from now on.” Rybakina, who beat Elina Svitolina in the semifinals, responded graciously: “It was a very difficult match. Congratulations to Aryna and her team... Not the result we wanted today, but still, it’s been a good couple weeks.” Sabalenka celebrated personal milestones too: “What a week. Getting a puppy, getting engaged and winning a title, I will definitely remember it for the rest of my life.”