Even when the best laid plans go wrong, Aryna Sabalenka finds a way to win

INDIAN WELLS – Aryna Sabalenka had plans for every eventuality going into the Indian Wells final on March 15. But even when nothing went right, the world No. 1 still found a way to win, claiming the title with a gutsy a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) victory over Elena Rybakina.

Sabalenka had lost the 2023 final to Rybakina as well as the title deciders at the 2025 WTA Finals and the Australian Open in January, and the Belarusian looked to be on the way to another defeat by the Kazakh in the Californian desert.

However, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion showed all her battling qualities to claw her way back into the match and go on to record victory.

“The whole point was to have A, B, C, D, E, and blah, blah, blah plans. Today, A, B and C definitely didn’t work,” Sabalenka told reporters.

“So I had to basically run there and put as much ball back at her as possible, and when I felt more confident, I went back to my usual game, which is an aggressive and dominating game.

“I’m super happy that I was able to progress that far and to have so many tools in my game, so that no matter what happens in the match, I’m able to still find the small things that are going to help me to win the match.”

She said losing big finals in the past had helped her build mental strength.

“With so many finals I’ve lost, they also teach me a lot of things that the game is never done till it’s done. So if it’s a match point, you still have a chance to get back into the game,” the 27-year-old said.

“That’s something I learnt, to be mentally strong no matter what. Though I lost so many big ones and painful ones, I’m still able to go out there, even when things are not going well, and stay focused and fight for it.”

In the men’s draw, Jannik Sinner said his first Indian Wells title was the result of meticulous preparation in the heat of the Californian desert, after the Italian arrived a week before the tournament began to train and acclimatise.

The world No. 2 has sometimes struggled in hot and humid conditions, most notably when severe cramp nearly forced him to quit his Australian Open third-round match in January and when he retired in Shanghai in 2025.

However, he showed little sign of discomfort during his 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4) win over Daniil Medvedev on March 15, when the temperature approached 35 deg C shortly before the final’s scheduled start time of 2pm.

“It was hot but it wasn’t humid, so it makes a difference,” the 24-year-old Sinner said.

“But I’ve been here a week before the tournament started. Very similar conditions as it was today. We put in long days of practice. I felt very well-prepared, so I wasn’t having issues with the weather and the heat, which is very positive for me.”

Victory meant Sinner has now collected titles at all six ATP Masters 1000 events on hard courts, as well as the ATP Finals, Australian Open and US Open on the surface, to join an elite group which also includes Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

“I knew that this was a tournament I haven’t won, so I wanted to prepare in the best possible way, as professionally as possible,” he said.

“Having this achievement now means a lot to me. Now I have couple of days to relax... there is not so much time in between here and Miami.

“It’s again an important tournament in Miami, but we try to play the best tennis possible there too.”

Djokovic will not be able to add to his hard-court tally after withdrawing from this week’s Miami Open with a right shoulder injury, the organisers said on March 15. REUTERS