Aryna Sabalenka knows no limits at the start of the 2026 season. By defeating Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Miami Open final, the world number one completed the Sunshine Double, joining an ultra-exclusive circle of players who have won Indian Wells and Miami in the same year. Before her, only Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, and Iga Świątek had achieved this feat.
The Belarusian brilliantly defended her Miami title while adding Indian Wells to her trophy cabinet for the first time. At Indian Wells, the final against Elena Rybakina had been a moment of pure courage: facing a championship point, Sabalenka turned the situation around with the composure of the all-time greats in a thriller that will live long in the memory.
In Miami, the final against Gauff confirmed Sabalenka's resilience. After dominating the first set, the American found solutions in the second. But at the decisive moments of the third set, it was the Belarusian's power and experience that made the difference. Her ability to raise her level in critical moments has become her trademark.
The numbers from this American swing are staggering. Sabalenka boasts a 23-1 record in 2026, dropping barely a set across her nine matches between California and Florida. This is the very definition of dominance.
Remarkably, Sabalenka is the only player in history, male or female, to have completed the Sunshine Double in both singles and doubles, having already achieved the feat in doubles with Kateřina Siniaková in 2019. A record that underscores the versatility and longevity of this champion at the peak of her powers.
With Jannik Sinner achieving the same feat on the ATP side, the Sabalenka-Sinner duo became the first to complete the Sunshine Double simultaneously since Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka in 2016. The 2026 season has only just begun, but Sabalenka has already laid the foundations for what could be the greatest year of her career.
