Aryna Sabalenka Joins Elite Ranks with Historic Sunshine Double Triumph at Miami Open

Aryna Sabalenka defeats Coco Gauff to win the Miami Open, becoming the fifth woman ever to complete the rare Sunshine Double feat.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 29, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Tennis365

A Dominant Defense in the Magic City

The world No 1 demonstrated her current stranglehold on the women’s circuit by overcoming a spirited challenge from world No 4 Coco Gauff. In a match defined by high intensity and tactical shifts, the Belarusian powerhouse navigated a mid match slump to finalize a 6,2, 4,6, 6,3 victory. This successful title defense in Florida mirrors the achievement of Ashleigh Barty in 2021, cementing Sabalenka’s status as the most formidable force on hard courts in the modern era.

Joining the Legends of the Sunshine Double

By securing titles in both Indian Wells and Miami within a single month, Sabalenka has entered an incredibly exclusive circle of tennis icons. Since the possibility of the double began in 1989, only four other women had managed to sweep both legs of the March North American swing. The achievement places her alongside Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, and Iga Swiatek, all of whom held the top ranking and multiple major titles during their careers.

The Historical Context of a Rare Feat

The difficulty of maintaining peak physical and mental form across two grueling weeks in the desert and the humidity of Florida cannot be overstated. Steffi Graf remains the gold standard, having achieved this twice in the mid 1990s, while more recent successes by Azarenka in 2016 and Swiatek in 2022 highlighted the rare momentum required to dominate these back to back WTA 1000 events. Sabalenka’s victory ensures that she is now mentioned in the same breath as these legendary figures of the sport.