Indian Wells: Aryna Sabalenka Sets Up Summit Clash With Elena Rybakina

Last Updated:March 14, 2026, 12:47 IST

Sabalenka defeated the 14th-ranked Czech Noskova 6-3, 6-4, while Rybakina overcame Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinal.

Aryna Sabalenka surged past Linda Noskova on Friday to secure a spot in the Indian Wells final, where she’ll face Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.

Sabalenka defeated the 14th-ranked Czech Noskova 6-3, 6-4, while Rybakina overcame Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4, setting up an exciting rematch of their Melbourne final.

Rybakina had previously beaten Sabalenka in the 2023 Indian Wells championship match, where the Belarusian star had twice reached the final without success.

“I want that match," said Sabalenka, who has been in dominant form in the California desert this year.

She hit 37 winners with 11 aces, maintaining relentless pressure from the baseline to secure a commanding win over Noskova.

Sabalenka broke the big-serving Czech twice to take a 5-1 lead in the first set. A minor setback occurred when she attempted to serve out the set, having lost just one point in her first three service games, and was broken. Noskova kept the set alive with a resilient hold in a marathon eighth game, fending off a set point with a service winner and sealing the game with an ace.

Serving for the set again, Sabalenka started with a double fault and fell behind 0-30. However, a pair of powerful serves and a backhand winner brought her to set point, which she clinched with an ace.

Sabalenka broke Noskova to begin the second set and continued her momentum. Noskova fended off a second break, but she couldn’t capitalise on a break opportunity in the eighth game as Sabalenka closed out the match, sealing the victory with a forehand winner on her third match point.

“I think I really played great tennis," Sabalenka said. “I was serving well. I was playing well. I like the way I put her under pressure on her serve."

Rybakina, set to move up to number two in the world rankings on Monday, had too much firepower for the ninth-ranked Svitolina, who was coming off a three-set win over two-time champion Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals.

Rybakina recovered from an early break in a tight first set and took control with a break for 6-5, her steady pressure on Svitolina’s serve causing too many mistakes from the Ukrainian.

Rybakina won seven consecutive games from 4-5 down in the first set, breaking Svitolina twice to take a 4-0 lead in the second set. The experienced Svitolina made her work, saving a match point on her serve and then saving another on the way to a break for 5-3 as she won three straight games.

But Rybakina made no mistakes serving for the match a second time, securing her 12th straight victory over top-10 opponents.

“Not, maybe, my best performance, but I’m super happy to win this match and be in the final again," Rybakina said.

Although she trails Sabalenka 8-7 in their career head-to-head, she has won their last two meetings, in last year’s WTA Finals title match and at the Australian Open, where she claimed her second Grand Slam crown.

Despite these recent successes, Rybakina anticipates a tough match on Sunday.

“We’ve played so many times, and I think it all depends on close moments, which we usually have—whoever steps in, plays more aggressive, more solid," Rybakina said. “It’s going to be a difficult match. We’re both going to try to serve well, that’s for sure, put pressure… we will see what happens."

(With Inputs From Agecies)

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