Where Aryna Sabalenka vs Coco Gauff ranks in tennis’ best rivalries right now

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Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff reignited their rivalry in the Miami Open final, with the world number one coming out on top.

Sabalenka defeated Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to both successfully defend her Miami title and complete the Sunshine Double.

The American fell just short of a 12th WTA title and a first of the 2026 season, with Sabalenka now taking those respective tallies to 24 and three.

She has also edged ahead in her thrilling head-to-head with Gauff, which now stands at 7-6 from their 13 meetings.

It is undoubtedly one of the top four rivalries in tennis right now, but it is arguably slightly behind a handful of other intriguing battles.

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4. Aryna Sabalenka vs Coco Gauff (7-6)

Sabalenka and Gauff were perfectly balanced going into the Miami Open final, fittingly each claiming six wins from their 12 meetings.

But the American had been the one showing up when it really mattered, claiming both of her Grand Slam titles against her Belarusian rival.

She won the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open finals against Sabalenka, who currently holds the bragging rights via a 7-6 record after Miami.

3. Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic (5-5)

There is a similarly epic rivalry playing out on the ATP Tour, with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic unable to be separated after 10 meetings.

The two players, who are at very different stages of their careers, most recently met in the Australian Open final.

Epitomizing their thrilling head-to-head is the fact that, aside from one quarterfinal clash, all of their matches have arrived in finals or semifinals.

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2. Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina (10-7)

Sabalenka is once again involved in the WTA Tour’s best rivalry right now, this time against Elena Rybakina.

She’s won 10 of their tour-leading 17 meetings, three of which have arrived this season alone at the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami Open.

Again, the two rivals have regularly met in the latter stages of tournaments, with the Kazakhstan star now set to be eager to close the gap after losing ground to the Belarusian icon.

1. Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner (10-6)

In stark contrast to their WTA number one and two counterparts, ATP superstars Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been kept apart in the 2026 season so far.

But there are always fireworks when the two go head-to-head on the court, with the Spaniard currently leading his Italian rival 10-6.

The pair have asserted their dominance in men’s tennis in recent years, with their absolutely epic rivalry set to continue long into the future.

Whether or not they can do enough to create the greatest rivalry of all time remains to be seen, with that bar having been set very high by many of their predecessors.

John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg had an epic rivalry, as did Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, and Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

Meanwhile, the iconic Big Three of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer played out unforgettable battles among each other.