Aryna Sabalenka’s historic feat at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, March 28, was widely appreciated by the entire tennis community. She defeated local favorite Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the final of the 2026 Miami Open to complete the Sunshine Double. Many former pros and coaches have shared their thoughts on this historic win, with former British pro Tim Henman praising the Belarusian champion for successfully defending her title.
Tim Henman Praises Aryna Sabalenka’s Miami Open Victory Over Coco Gauff
Sabalenka defeated Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the final of the 2026 Miami Open on Saturday to complete the Sunshine Double and successfully defend her 1,000 ranking points. With this win, she has once again secured her No. 1 spot in the WTA Rankings, showing the world that she has ruled the Tour for well over a year now.
Following the elite-level performance from the Belarusian, many analysts shared their thoughts on the match, praising her mental and physical resilience along with her gameplay.
Former British professional Henman was especially impressed with the high-octane match and Sabalenka’s comeback after losing the second set.
“It would have been easy for Sabalenka to get frustrated when you think about all the tennis she’s played. She’s obviously fatigued mentally and physically, but I think that first couple of games of the third set spoke volumes,” he said.
Talking about the impressive comeback she mounted after losing the second set, Henman added, “The mental capacity, her fortitude to say, ‘Okay, I’ve dropped that second set, but I go again. I’ve got one last set here to do the Sunshine Double.'”
Early in the decider, Sabalenka broke Gauff to take the upper hand, racing to a 3-1 lead. The Briton praised the Belarusian’s on-court confidence, which never lets her get cornered even in tough matches, saying, “She got an early break of serve. The way she went about then just taking care of her own service games, was very, very impressive. You can feel the confidence on the court just oozing through her veins.”
Interestingly, the former World No. 4 noted that Sabalenka’s performance wasn’t her best, suggesting she has the potential to deliver in even bigger matches. However, the fact that she was still able to lift the title and complete the Sunshine Double was praised by the Briton.
“This is another amazing achievement. And I don’t think she played her best today, but that is the sign of the great champions: when you’re not quite playing your best, but you still get the job done,” he said.
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Both top-ranked women delivered incredible performances in the match, but it was Sabalenka’s experience and resilience that helped her beat Gauff and take the title. With this win, she became the first woman since 2022 to complete the Sunshine Double, something World No. 4 Iga Świątek last did.
She also successfully defended her Miami Open crown, which she won last year by defeating American star Jessica Pegula in the final. Sabalenka now sits at the top with more than 11,000 ranking points, nearly 3,000 points ahead of her closest competitor, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina.
Following the match, Gauff shared an emotional message with her fans on Instagram, expressing her heartbreak while showing gratitude. Her brother, Codey, and her father, Corey, sent kind and warm words to comfort her during this tough time.
With the hard-court season now over, the WTA Tour heads to Europe, where Sabalenka has another title to defend: the WTA 1000 title in Madrid.
