Sabalenka faces Gauff in Miami Open final clash between local fan favorites
The 2026 Miami Open began with a few chilly, rainy days but the women’s draw culminates Saturday afternoon with a sunny forecast and what should be an entertaining final between world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 4 Coco Gauff.
Both will feel at home and have large South Florida fan followings, which will make for a festive atmosphere at Hard Rock Stadium.
Sabalenka, the defending champion and a Belarusian who lives in Miami, is in her fourth consecutive final this season. She has become a crowd favorite with the area’s Brazilian community since recently becoming engaged to Georgios Frangulis, a Brazilian entrepreneur who owns the acai brand Oakberry.
Retired Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo was in the stands for Sabalenka’s semifinal match on Thursday night, which she won in 79 minutes against world No. 2 Elena Rybakina.
Gauff, a Delray Beach native, reached her first final at Miami after three Round of 16 finishes. At 22, she is the youngest American finalist in the event since Serena Williams in 2003.
Asked what fans should expect from Saturday’s match (3 p.m., Tennis Channel), Sabalenka smiled and said: “A lot of rallies, a lot of emotions, a lot of fun.”
It marks a rematch of the 2023 U.S. Open final, as well as last year’s finals on clay at Madrid and the French Open. Gauff won the Grand Slam matchups in three sets, and Sabalenka won in straight sets in Madrid.
They have played each other 12 times and are knotted at six wins apiece.
“We’ve played so many matches, and it’s physical when I play her every time, it’s going to be tough,” Gauff said of Sabalenka winning her semifinal 6-1, 6-1 over Karolína Muchová. “She’s playing great tennis. She’s definitely world No. 1 for a reason, and it’s going to be a great challenge.”
Sabalenka is coming off a title at Indian Wells and is the second player to reach both finals at the Sunshine Double in consecutive years since Maria Sharapova in 2012-13.
She expects a tough match from Gauff, who retired from her second match in Indian Wells with a nerve issue that was causing pain in her left arm. She considered skipping the Miami Open, and said she would have if it had been anywhere else, but she loves playing so close to home and decided to give it a shot.
Gauff, known for her humility, said she has surprised herself with her run to this final.
“It means a lot to me, not expected,” she said. “This tournament obviously means a lot and to be in the final is pretty crazy. Being home with the support I get here and knowing I haven’t done well here in the past, there were no high expectations coming here.”
Gauff remembered how she felt when she lost in the Round of 16 last year, and it gave her comfort heading into this year’s tournament.
“I lost and I drove home and I was fine with my family, and I think that’s one of the things I was thinking about this year,” she said.
Also, she has been fine tuning her game.
“I feel like the improvements are happening, especially with my forehand,” she said. “I said earlier this year that I felt like I was practicing well and just waiting for it to click. And I think it’s not obviously fully clicked, but I think it is clicking.”
She also has been working on her confidence, admitting earlier in the week that despite her high ranking and big trophies, she sometimes wondered whether she belonged on the court with the top players in the sport.
“I think I have to believe that I belong where I am; sometimes I can get imposter syndrome,” Gauff said. “Even when they were saying my accomplishments on the walk out [onto the court] and during warmups, it doesn’t feel like me. I’m like, `Oh, I actually do have a good career.’ But it doesn’t feel like that sometimes. But the ball doesn’t lie. So, I just have to believe in myself.”
In the first men’s semifinal Friday afternoon, Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic beat French fan favorite Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 in an hour, 15 minutes. Lehecka, seeded No. 21, will play Sunday’s final against No. 2 Jannik Sinner of Italy, who defeated No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany Friday night 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
Sinner, the 2024 Miami Open winner, has reached the final four times.
“I felt I needed to be very aggressive and not let him have more time to work with his forehand, because his forehand is amazing,” Lehecka said of Fils. “I think we all saw that in the last couple of matches here, that when he has time, he can basically do whatever he wants with that shot. I put a little bit more risk into my returns to dictate the pace.”
Lehecka, a 24-year-old from a small village north of Prague, will be playing in his first Masters 1000 final.
“[Friday], I must say was one of the better matches that I have played in my life, and probably the best I played this year,” he said.
In women’s doubles semifinals Friday, No. 2 team Taylor Townsend (USA)/Katerina Siniakova (CZE) rallied to defeat No. 3 Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN)/Luisa Stefani (BRA) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-3). In men’s doubles semifinals, No. 4 Harri Heliovaara (FIN/Henry Patten (GBR) beat top-seeded Marcel Granollers (ESP)/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 6-2, 6-3 and Italians Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori beat Sander Arends (NED)/John-Patrick Smith (AUS) 6-3, 6-4.
Alfie Hewett of Great Britain won the Wheelchair men’s singles title and Aniek Van Koot of the Netherlands won the Wheelchair women’s singles title.
This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 8:23 PM.