Fresh off one of the most dramatic victories of her career, Aryna Sabalenka offered heartfelt praise for longtime rival Elena Rybakina after defeating the Kazakh star in a gripping final at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
While the Belarusian celebrated a hard-earned three-set triumph that delivered her maiden title in the California desert, Sabalenka used her post-match press conference to reflect on the rivalry that has defined some of the biggest matches on the WTA Tour.
Aryna Sabalenka Opens Up About Her Admiration for Elena Rybakina After Their Latest Final Clash
Despite the fierce battles between them, Sabalenka described Rybakina as “the kindest one on tour,” emphasizing the respect and appreciation she has developed for her opponent through years of intense competition.
The Indian Wells final was a rematch of the 2026 Australian Open final. Sabalenka entered the match looking to reverse a troubling trend against Rybakina in finals, having lost four straight title clashes to the Kazakh before Indian Wells.
Their latest meeting took place under scorching desert conditions, and the contest lasted more than two and a half hours. Sabalenka eventually prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) to secure the title. The victory marked a major psychological breakthrough for the World No. 1 and pushed her head-to-head lead over Rybakina to 9-7 after their 16th meeting.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Sabalenka was asked about the intensity required to beat Rybakina and about their relationship away from the court. She responded with clear admiration: “Yeah, she’s a nice one. I would say that she’s the kindest one on tour. We have been playing for so long so many matches. And honestly, I really enjoy it, even though I lost so many of them and really painful ones.”
She added that their clashes consistently produce high-level tennis. “But still I enjoy it because it means that the final gonna be a show, it’s gonna be great tennis, great level, and it’s gonna be a fight, which is great for people to watch and also for me to become a better player.”
Sabalenka concluded by emphasizing their mutual respect while also revealing her competitive mindset. “So I really enjoy our rivalry. So, yeah, I like her as a person, as a player, and I enjoy these battles. But I really hope that I’m gonna win all of them from now on.”
What the Numbers Reveal About the Intensity of the Sabalenka-Rybakina Final
The statistics reflected the razor-thin margin between them. Rybakina struck 12 aces compared with Sabalenka’s 10, and both players held 80% of their service games. Sabalenka’s ability to win 15 of 22 points behind her second serve in the final set proved decisive.
Even though Rybakina won more total points in the match, 104 to 100, Sabalenka delivered the crucial shots in the tiebreak and finished with 29 winners overall. The victory also marked the Belarusian’s 23rd career WTA singles title and her 10th WTA 1000 trophy.
