The Indian Wells Open women’s singles final promises a thrilling showdown between World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Kazakhstani star Elena Rybakina, both of whom have dazzled with their performances at the Tennis Paradise. As anticipation builds for their final clash, the former coach of Serena and Venus Williams has weighed in with his insights on who could win and how.
Rick Macci on Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina Ahead of Indian Wells Final
Sabalenka blazed into the Indian Wells Open as the top seed, defeating elite opponents like Naomi Osaka and Victoria Mboko, then sweeping Linda Nosková in the semifinals without dropping a set to secure her spot in the championship match.
Meanwhile, Rybakina arrived as the third seed and carved her path to the final by overcoming stars like Hailey Baptiste and Marta Kostyuk, then defeating Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinal and Elina Svitolina in the semifinal.
The duo, whose current head-to-head stands at 8-7, has clashed multiple times in the past, with five of those matches being final rounds. For the title, they faced off in the 2023 Australian Open and the 2023 Indian Wells, then the 2024 Brisbane International, the 2025 WTA Finals, and the 2026 Australian Open.
Beyond fueling fan excitement, the final clash also drew the attention of Rick Macci, the renowned former coach of the legendary Williams sisters. In a recent X post, Macci broke down which player holds the upper hand and how they can win the match.
Rybakina and Sab is always about the rockets not the jab. If Elena serves hit her spot then she has a real shot. Sab on the first serve return does not cover the wide that good and then Elena gets more BIG C under the hood. Always a close battle but Sab can win if she stays calm…
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) March 15, 2026
He mentioned, “Rybakina and Sab is always about the rockets not the jab. If Elena serves hit her spot, then she has a real shot. Sab on the first serve return does not cover the wide that good and then Elena gets more BIG C under the hood. Always a close battle, but Sab can win if she stays calm and does not rattle. @WTA.”
Sabalenka’s Mindset Heading Into the Final
In her earlier press conference, Sabalenka reflected that she is looking to clinch the title, highlighting her frustration and determination. She mentioned, “I’m so done losing these big finals. If I make it to the final, I want to make sure I get the trophy.”
Looking ahead to her final showdown with Rybakina, the Belarusian star braced herself for a fierce, hard-fought battle, sharing, “I feel like against Elena, it’s always super-aggressive, it’s all about the first few balls in every point. If you dominate in those two points, I feel like most likely you’re gonna win the point. It’s very aggressive, very fast tennis.”
After completing the Indian Wells, the stars will move on to the Miami Open, which is set to be played from March 15 to 29, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
