Aryna Sabalenka is another step closer to further solidifying the running narrative that this era of women’s tennis starts with her.
On Friday at Indian Wells, Sabalenka flexed her dominance in a 6-3, 6-4 win over Linda Noskova in the BNP Paribas Open semifinals. Sabalenka will play Elena Rybakina in Sunday’s final. Sabalenka lost to Rybakina in the Australian Open final in January.
“Super happy with my performance,” Sabalenka said. “I think I really played great tennis. I wasserving well. I was playing well. I like the way I put her under pressure on her serve, and of course happy to close this match in straight sets.”
Sabalenka, 27, was never in any sort of danger on Friday. In the first set she went up a double break amid 90-degree temperatures, with the ball flying through the air. Then, early in the second set, she went up another break and never lost her serve to finish out the match on Stadium Court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Sabalenka saved a break point, up 4-3 in the second, and her kick serve was too much for Noskova to return with any sort of consistency.
The Belarusian tennis star finished the match with a whopping 11 aces. She reached her third Indian Wells final in four years.
A title here has eluded Sabalenka. She lost to Rybakina in the 2023 final and lost last year in the final to Mirra Andreeva. Having a chance to remedy that appears to be a driving force for Sabalenka this year at Indian Wells.
“The last couple finals I lost here,” she said. “So, I’ll make sure that I’m more than ready and that this is the year.”
The top-ranked player in the world and therefore the top seed here at Indian Wells, Sabalanka has won four Grand Slams and nine WTA 1000 titles. But her power is better suited for the faster courts, and Indian Wells is known for its slow courts that rewards patience and consistency.
This has been a memorable two weeks for Sabalenka. She and boyfriend Georgios Frangulis became engaged on March 3 and she’s worn a 12-carat diamond ring during her five matches at Indian Wells.
Winning an Indian Wells title would be not just cap an unforgettable two weeks for Sabalenka, but would be a powerful statement that she can win big titles on a variety of surfaces and that she is, without any sort of doubt, the player to beat in Miami and into the European swing.
Just five women in the Open Era have won all four big American tournaments: Miami, Cincinnati, the U.S, Open and Indian Wells. They are Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Kim Clijsters. Sabalenka will play to be the fifth on Sunday.
“I’m so done (with) losing these big finals,” Sabalenka said. “It felt like even though players were playing incredible tennis in those finals, I feel like I had so many opportunities that I didn’t use.
“And right now my mentality, if I make it to the final, I’ll go out there and I’ll do everything I can and everything I cannot to get that trophy.”
[This story has been updated to add new information.]
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Aryna Sabalenka rolls in semifinals, will play for Indian Wells title
Reporting by Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
