The world’s third-ranked player from Kazakhstan and two-time major champion Elena Rybakina lost to the world’s number one and four-time Grand Slam champion Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the WTA 1000 hard court tournament in Indian Wells — 6:3, 3:6, 6:7 (6:8).
The match lasted two hours and 34 minutes. Sabalenka served 10 aces, made three double faults, and converted three break points out of eight earned.
The head-to-head record between the opponents is now 9-7 in favor of Aryna.
The previous two matches in this pair were won by Rybakina: she defeated Sabalenka first in the final of the WTA Finals in Riyadh (6:3, 7:6), and then denied her another title by winning in a dramatic final at the Australian Open 2026 (6:4, 4:6, 6:4).
For Sabalenka, the title in Indian Wells is her second of the season and the 23rd of her career. This is the 10th 'thousand' tournament she has conquered.
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