World number one Aryna Sabalenka will play Jessica Pegula in the Miami Open final on Saturday after young Alexandra Eala was defeated in the semi-finals. Sabalenka, 26, has yet to lose a set in the tournament, dominating sixth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2.
Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is in great form after reaching two consecutive finals, although she lost to Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells earlier this month. In her first Miami final, Sabalenka played aggressively, using powerful serves and strong groundstrokes to defeat Paolini in just 73 minutes.
American Pegula beat 19-year-old Eala 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3 to advance to the final. Despite a few mistakes, Sabalenka was nearly flawless, earning another opportunity to win a trophy. “I’m super happy to be in another final,” she said.
Sabalenka has reached her fourth final of 2025, with a win in Brisbane and losses to Madison Keys at the Australian Open and Andreeva at Indian Wells. Eala, ranked 140th, made an impressive run to the semi-finals, defeating three Grand Slam champions along the way. She’ll enter the top 100 for the first time next week.
