World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to her first Miami Open final after a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over No. 6 seed Jasmina Paolini on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium. Sabalenka maintained a perfect service game throughout the match, securing her place in her 12th career WTA 1000 final.
Miami has become a familiar location for Sabalenka, who resides in South Florida. She mentioned earlier in the tournament that she enjoys the comforts of home, like sleeping in her own bed and driving her own car during the competition. Despite this local connection, Sabalenka had only reached the quarterfinals twice in her previous six Miami appearances, whether in Key Biscayne or Miami Gardens.
However, after a significant 6-2, 7-5 quarterfinal victory over No. 9 seed Zheng Qinwen – her seventh consecutive win against the Olympic gold medalist – Sabalenka faced Paolini and successfully progressed to the final she has long desired. The three-time major champion has now won her last three encounters with the Italian player without dropping a set.
Sabalenka was always in control against Paolini, with the scoreline only briefly level at 1-1 in both sets. She served six aces, broke Paolini`s serve four times, and secured the win in 1 hour and 11 minutes. In the final on Saturday, she will compete against either No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula or teenage wild card Alexandra Eala from the Philippines.
Over the past 20 years, Sabalenka is the sixth player to reach the finals at both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, following in the footsteps of Kim Clijsters (2005), Maria Sharapova (2006, 2012, 2013), Victoria Azarenka (2016), Iga Swiatek (2022), and Elena Rybakina (2023). Sabalenka previously lost to Mirra Andreeva in the BNP Paribas Open final.
