Aryna Sabalenka has been knocking on the door of a big March title for years. Two Indian Wells runner-up finishes, a Miami campaign that never quite clicked—until now. Finally, she smashed through the barrier. On Saturday, Sabalenka conquered the Miami Open and silenced any doubts about her ability to close out these marquee hard-court events. Even better, she snapped a two-final losing streak in the process. Her road to the title wasn’t smooth sailing. She had suffered heartbreak in her last two finals, both at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, losing tight third sets to Madison Keys and Mirra Andreeva—one a seasoned veteran, the other an up-and-coming teen. But Sabalenka, the ‘tigress’ on tour, did what she does best: she roared back. And the tennis world, including Serena Williams’ former coach, took notice.
In Saturday’s final, the top-seeded Belarusian faced fourth seed Jessica Pegula. She didn’t just win—she dominated, clinching a 7-5, 6-2 victory. The first set was a rollercoaster with seven breaks of serve, both players taking turns in the driver’s seat. But at 5-5, Sabalenka broke Pegula to love, seizing the momentum. From there, she never let go. Pegula struggled against Sabalenka’s relentless power, her serve faltering under pressure. While Pegula managed only 12 winners, Sabalenka fired an impressive 31, bludgeoning her way to the title. When she broke Pegula at 5-2 in the second set, the match and the championship were hers. She had stormed through the Miami Open without dropping a set. Are you impressed? Rick Macci definitely is!
Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, applauded Sabalenka’s fearless approach. Taking to X, he wrote, “What I love most about Sabalenka and her game is THE BIG C. Courage. There is a fine line between Courage and Stupidity. But she tries to deal the cards and run the show every match. BANG! Zero Fear from Ear to Ear @SabalenkaAryna.”
He further went on to pinpoint her best assets and said, “3 big ticket items/ Forehand Backhand Serve as a Package is Biomechanically By Far the best of the rest. That alone in a BALL STRIKING REPETITIVE SPORT makes Sabalenka more Armed/ Dangerous than any player. You cannot have everything but she goes into combat with most powerful weapons.”
What I love most about Sabalenka and her game is THE BIG C. Courage. There is a fine line between Courage and Stupidity. But she tries to deal the cards and run the show every match. BANG! Zero Fear from from Ear to Ear. @SabalenkaAryna
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) March 30, 2025
Sabalenka’s journey to the top hasn’t been without setbacks. Just two years ago, she struggled massively with her serve, racking up 428 double faults in a single season. At one point, her confidence was so low that she resorted to underarm serves just to get the ball in play. But instead of letting it break her, she learned from it. In the final match, she fired 3 aces and had 66% of her first serves go in.
“I struggled a lot in the past with a lot of different things, so I went through really different challenges, and I was struggling with my serve so much, I couldn’t serve for a while, so I had to play without the serve,” she told reporters in Miami. “I think that was the moment when I realized that I actually have other weapons in my game and strengths, and I can actually win the match even if my serve is not working.”
The World No.1’s post-match interview gave insight into her determined mindset. “Going into this match, I had the mentality that no matter what happens, if she’s gonna break me, I had the mentality to stay there, to focus on myself, to fight for every point no matter what,” she said. “I didn’t want to lose another final, to be honest. It’s really tough to lose in the final. So if someone would say that, I’d be, like, ‘OK, it’s going to be a battle, I’m ready for that.’”
This title doesn’t just add another trophy to her cabinet, it also places her in elite company.
Aryna Sabalenka matches Serena Williams’ milestone after Miami Open title
With her Miami Open victory, Aryna Sabalenka matched a record set by 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams over a decade ago. The Belarusian defeated three top-10 players in a row—Zheng Qinwen in the quarters, Jasmine Paolini in the semis, and Jessica Pegula in the final—without dropping a set.
Her path to the title showed just how dominant she was. In the quarterfinals, she brushed aside Zheng 6-2, 7-5. The semifinals were even more one-sided, as she dispatched Paolini 6-2, 6-2. Against Pegula, she was tested but stayed composed, ensuring her name would go down in history alongside one of the sport’s greatest.
That’s right! Serena Williams did this back in 2014 when she took down Angelique Kerber, Maria Sharapova, and Li Na to win the Miami Open title.
With the Miami Open in the books, the clay season looms. Aryna Sabalenka’s game has always been built for power, but can she finally crack the clay and add a major title on the surface? That’s the next challenge. And she knows it. What do you think?
The post Aryna Sabalenka Is “More Dangerous Than Any Player,” and Serena Williams’ Former Coach Reveals Why He Thinks So appeared first on EssentiallySports.