Aryna Sabalenka has been on quite a journey since making her debut appearance at the Miami Open.
Sabalenka won the Miami Open last year, and she has now been world number one for 74 consecutive weeks.
This is seven years after she made her debut appearance at the Miami Open, when Sabalenka was just 19 years old.
Sabalenka did not make a deep run at the Miami Open that year, but she did at least win one match at the 2018 tournament.
Madison Brengle was the first player Aryna Sabalenka beat at the Miami Open
Sabalenka was the world number 60 heading into the 2018 Miami Open, and had only won one Grand Slam match at this point in her career.
In her first round match, Sabalenka was drawn to play against American Madison Brengle.
Who are you backing to complete the sunshine double?
Or do you think both Sabalenka and Sinner will win the Miami Open?
Brengle was the world number 77 at the time, but she had been ranked as high as world number 35 in her career.
She had also proven herself as tricky opposition for hard-hitting players like Sabalenka, with Brengle having beaten Serena Williams in 2017.
Despite this, Sabalenka was able to beat Brengle 6-1, 6-4, to win her first ever match at the Miami Open.
Aryna Sabalenka is now the — best women’s player of all time
Where are you ranking her?
Sabalenka’s run at the Miami Open would only last one more match, as she was beaten in the second round by Petra Kvitova.
The Miami Open was a difficult tournament for Sabalenka until 2025, when she surpassed the quarterfinals for the first time before going on to win the title.
Sabalenka could make history at the Miami Open this year, as she could join the only four women who have completed the sunshine double.
| Year | Aryna Sabalenka’s Result at the Miami Open |
| 2018 | Second Round – Lost to Petra Kvitova |
| 2019 | Second Round – Ajla Tomljanovic |
| 2021 | Quarterfinal – Lost to Ash Barty |
| 2022 | Second Round – Lost to Irina Camelia Begu |
| 2023 | Quarterfinal – Lost to Sorana Cirstea |
| 2024 | Third Round – Lost to Anhelina Kalinina |
| 2025 | Won the title |
What has happened to Madison Brengle since then?
While Sabalenka’s results are well documented in the tennis world since her first appearance at the Miami Open, Brengle has not been in the limelight so much.
Brengle made a return to the top 50 in 2022, but she has dealt with some more personal struggles since then.
However, at the start of the 2024 season, Brengle announced that she had to undergo surgery after being diagnosed with skin cancer for the third time.
Fortunately Brengle has been able to battle cancer once again, and after an 18 month break she was able to return to the tennis court in April 2025.
Primarily competing on the ITF Tour, Brengle has gone from being an unranked player to back inside the top 400.
Brengle has won her 20th ITF title in the process, and is currently the world number 353.
Most recently Brengle has played in qualifying for both Indian Wells and the Miami Open, where she lost in the first round.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
