Miami, March 29 (IANS) Aryna Sabalenka registered an emphatic 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over World No. 4 Coco Gauff to lift the Miami Open trophy, becoming the first player to complete the Sunshine Double since Iga Swiatek in 2022.

This is Sabalenka’s second straight Miami Open title, the first time that has been done since Aussie Ash Barty did it in 2019 and ’21 (no tournament held in 2020 due to the pandemic). Moreover, she is the first to do so in consecutive years since Serena Williams from 2013 to 2015.

Sabalenka became the fifth woman to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season for the Sunshine Double, joining Steffi Graf (1994, ’96), Kim Clijsters (2005), Victoria Azarenka (2016) and Iga Swiatek (2022).

She is the fourth player since 2000 to reach the finals in her first four tournaments of the year (Martina Hingis, 2001, Serena Williams, 2003, and Victoria Azarenka, 2012), all on hard court. She won three of them, including Brisbane and the Sunshine Double.

“It means a lot,’’ said Sabalenka. “My goal always has been to put my name in the history, and I just did it. It just sounds so unreal. I don’t know how I was able to achieve that, but I’m super proud right now. Of course, super happy with this beautiful trophy.

The win marks the 24th WTA singles title of her career and her 30th overall, including six in doubles. Among them: four Grand Slam singles titles, two in doubles, 11 WTA 1000 singles titles and two more in doubles — one of which came in Miami in 2019.

She has compiled those totals while spending 83 weeks at World No. 1, including an active streak that has reached 75 weeks. On Monday, she will hold the top spot for the 76th consecutive week, surpassing Swiatek’s longest streak and giving her the longest run at No. 1 since Barty’s 114-week stretch from September 2019 to March 2022 (including the rankings freeze during the Covid-19 pandemic

–IANS

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