Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula in Miami Open final for 19th tour title

Marc Berman · The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 29, 2025 6:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Aryna Sabalenka entered the Miami Open last against Jessica Pegula with 18 vocation titles connected her elite resume.

The Miami Open crown had proved elusive until Saturday.

The No. 1 effect from Belarus knocked disconnected fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 for her archetypal Miami Open rubric successful a rematch of the 2024 U.S. Open final.

Sabalenka fired up her lethal forehand successful posting 22 winners connected that helping to triumph the $1.1 cardinal US first prize. Sabalenka deed a backhand passing changeable connected lucifer constituent aft which she raised some hands to the aerial and looked up to the sky.

"Thank God the rainfall stopped," Sabalenka said. "It was similar Miami was crying that I won this tournament. I enjoyed playing here, each infinitesimal of it."

Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had won the U.S. Open implicit Pegula, besides successful consecutive sets, 7-5, 7-5, but successful 2025, Sabalenka's finals luck had tally out.

The 26-year-old powerfulness subordinate had reached the finals of 4 of six events this year, though lone copped 1 rubric (Brisbane) earlier Miami. Sabalenka mislaid successful the finals of the Australian Open and astatine Indian Wells — the lawsuit that preceded Miami.

"You're the champion subordinate successful the satellite for a reason," Pegula said to Sabalenka during the trophy ceremony. "You support challenging everyone to get better. The level of tennis you've been capable to play is amazing."

Sabalenka present lives successful Miami but Pegula had the assemblage support. Pegula, a 31-year-old Buffalo native, has lived successful Boca Raton since she was 13 and is girl of Terry Pegula, proprietor of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was successful attendance arsenic the league owners meetings takes spot Monday successful adjacent Palm Beach.

"It's inactive chill to spot this alteration from a Dolphins-Bills crippled to a tennis stadium," Pegula said.

Neither subordinate could clasp service good successful the archetypal set. Sabalenka broke Pegula's service 4 times and won it 7-5, winning the past 8 points of the set.

Pegula was up a interruption astatine 3-2 but couldn't clasp it successful a topsy-turvy acceptable that besides saw Pegula interruption Sabalenka's service 3 times.

At 5-5, Sabalenka held service astatine emotion for 6-5 lead, past broke Pegula astatine emotion aft hitting 3 consecutive winners — 2 astatine the net.

Sabalenka leads the bid vs. Pegula 7-2 and has won the past 3 meetings.

The men's doubles final, archetypal connected the card, was stopped by rainfall successful the 2nd acceptable with No. 1 effect Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic starring No. 6 Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool 7-6, 3-2. 30-30. Arevalo/Pavic closed retired the title rapidly 7-6, 6-3, but the rainfall hold caused the 3 p.m. women's last to statesman much than 1 hr tardy.