Are you ready? It’s time for ‘Danimal’ vs ‘Tigress’ at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens! Remember last year when Aryna Sabalenka snapped Danielle Collins’ 15-match winning streak at the Madrid Open? Well, at the moment, the Belarusian has yet again a chance of breaking Collins’ incredible winning streak. The American is currently on a nine-match winning streak at the Miami Open. Collins has kept her title defense alive, with a hard-fought victory in the previous round. Can she now stop the Top seed from making progress into the QF?
Aryna Sabalenka vs Danielle Collins: Preview
Aryna Sabalenka had a stellar start to her season in 2025. She clinched the title at the Brisbane International and also made it to the final at the AO. Although she struggled a bit in the Middle East swing, Sabalenka made a strong comeback in Indian Wells. However, even there, she felt just one step short of a title triumph. Here in Miami, she has already got off to a flying start and she’ll be entering this following her opponent, Elena-Gabriela Ruse’s mid-match retirement in the R32. After finishing this 29-minute match, Sabalenka wished Ruse a speedy recovery, “I hope she gets well soon. Tough to say anything about this match.”
Aug 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, USA; Aryna Sabalenka serves against Katie Boulter (GBR, not shown) in third round play at Sobeys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
On the other side, Danielle Collins has now entered into the R16 of the Miami Open for the fourth time in her career. She defeated Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova by 6-4,3-6,6-3 in the previous round. After the match, Collins was seen speaking about how she uses frustration effectively on the court. Talking about frustration, well, she would surely get a bit frustrated looking at her H2H record against Sabalenka. Who’s leading the race at the moment, though?
Sabalenka vs Collins: Head-to-Head
Aryna Sabalenka has so far enjoyed near-complete dominance over the American in each of their previous meetings. Sabalenka currently leads their H2H record by 6-0. Can Danielle Collins open her account against the Belarusian with a win in Miami?
2024 Rome SF: Sabalenka 7-5,6-2.
2024 Madrid R16: Sabalenka 4-6,6-4,6-3.
2022 US Open R16: Sabalenka 3-6,6-3,6-2.
2021 US Open R32: Sabalenka 6-3,6-3.
2019 Wuhan R32: Sabalenka 6-1,6-0.
2018 US Open R128: Sabalenka 6-0,4-6,6-4.
Prediction: Sabalenka will win this match in three sets
Both these players know each other games pretty well, but looking at their H2H record, Aryna Sabalenka looks a clear favorite here. Collins (15) hasn’t beaten a Top 100 player this year and she currently has a win-loss record of just 5-3. Sabalenka (1) has a win-loss record of 19-4 in 2025. So, looking at their current form also, the Belarusian seems to be the most likely to keep her unbeaten streak intact against Collins.
Sabalenka’s best record in this tournament was reaching the QF twice (2021,2023). In this aspect, Collins has a better record and the home factor could also play a role in this match. So, considering all of these I think the American might push the number one to three sets in this match.
Talking about their playing styles, Collins is known for her aggressive, baseline-oriented playing style, characterized by powerful groundstrokes, a strong backhand, and a versatile game that allows her to dominate rallies and apply pressure on opponents. Her style of play allows her to hit a high number of winners, but at the same time, she’s often seen generating a high number of double faults. Her biggest strengths are inside-out forehand and kick serve.
On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka is also known for her aggressive, power-packed style of play, characterized by strong serve and explosive groundstrokes, particularly her forehand, which she uses to dominate rallies and force opponents onto the back foot. Her game is based more on taking control of points and hitting winners. Beating Sabalenka on the hard courts is a really tough ask, so I feel she will win this battle of two power-hitters in Miami.
The post Miami Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka vs Danielle Collins; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.