Coco Gauff came up short in the Miami Open final, but delivered on a defiant display of tennis against Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka beat Gauff in three sets to capture the title and become the fifth woman in history to complete the Sunshine Double.
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The Belarusian looked to be closing in on a comfortable victory after taking the first set rather convincingly, but the American quickly found an answer to force a decider.
Ultimately, Sabalenka emerged triumphant in the third to join Iga Swiatek, Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters and Steffi Graf in the list of stars to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season back-to-back.
Despite the loss for Gauff, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli suggested there were plenty of positives to take from the result.
Marion Bartoli analyses Coco Gauff’s performance in the Miami final
Speaking on Sky Sports, Bartoli said of Gauff: “She came up a little short, but the way she was able to find a way in the second set to steal a set was incredible.
“It was total dominance in the first set from Aryna, winning so much. It showed incredible mentality and heart, and that is why she has already won two Grand Slams.
“Because she is a tough competitor, with her heart, with her fight, with her backhand.
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“I loved the fact today she was using her slice serve a lot. That should be a pattern she is going to use on clay as well.
“She is the Roland Garros defending champion, but she can build momentum to include this, and the way she was able to hold on to that serve and forehand today was a positive she can take.”
Coco Gauff’s 2026 season so far
Gauff’s run in Miami was her best campaign of the year so far, having recorded an otherwise indifferent first three months to 2026.
She started the season off with a quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open, followed by an opening-round loss at the Qatar Open.
Gauff then made the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, but then suffered another early exit in round three of the Indian Wells Open.
In Miami, Gauff dropped a set in each of her four matches, but managed to advance to the semifinals, where she earned a convincing straight-sets win over Karolina Muchova.
She couldn’t get the better of Sabalenka in the end, however, and was denied a first title of the year.
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