BNP Paribas Open: Elena Rybakina survives wild first set to top Aryna Sabalenka in Indian Wells
Elena Rybakina had faced Aryna Sabalenka four times heading into Sunday's BNP Paribas Open women's final and lost each time in three sets.
This time, though, sparked by a victory in an unbelievable first set that lasted longer than any set in the entire tournament, Rybakina earned a 7-6 (11), 6-4 victory.
The first set took an hour and 19 minutes and didn't end until Rybakina cashed in her sixth set-point opportunity during a wild tiebreaker that went to 13-11 as both players mixed in moments of greatness and nervousness, equal parts stunning forehand winners and groan-inducing double faults.
"Well, I think important was the first set. We both had chances, but in the end, it went my way. So I think it was important this first set, and then it was a bit easier to start the second with an early break," Rybakina said. "Then the conditions also changed a bit. In the end of the second set it became very windy, so from one side it was difficult to play. But since I had this advantage of the score I, think this was the difference today."
The packed house at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden enjoyed the ride as Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion who hadn't won a tournament since her breakthrough Slam, claimed her first Masters 1000 victory.
Conversely, Sabalenka, who beat Rybakina to win the Australian Open in January, had never lost a Masters 1000 final, winning all four she had been in before Sunday. She lost for just the second time in 19 matches this year.
Perhaps still rattled from losing such an epic first set, the No. 2 seed Sabalenka was immediately broken to start the second set and that set the stage for Rybakina. She was serving for the match at 5-2, but was broken at love before finally putting it away on her second attempt.
When Sabalenka's final shot went into the net, Rybakina did not celebrate profusely. A simple fist pump, a slow walk to the net to hug Sabalenka and a small wave to the crowd. It was an understated reaction for the second-biggest win in her career.
She said she will have a small celebratory dinner with her team tonight before heading to Miami on Monday morning. What's on the menu?
"I don't know. Maybe just some food which I usually don't eat during the tournament; some sweets, some pizza. Something like this, yeah," Rybakina said.
Rybakina, who becomes the first woman from Kazakhstan to win this event, takes home the Baccarat Trophy and the $1,262,220 first-place check. In the span of three days, she took down the top-two ranked players on the WTA Tour, having also beaten World No. 1 and defending BNP Paribas Open champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinal. She also defeated 2021 Indian Wells winner Paula Badosa earlier in the week.
She is the first woman to beat the No. 1 and No. 2 player in the world at this event in the same year.
"Well, I didn't think about this, but good stat. I don't know what to say (smiling)," Rybakina said. "I mean, when I come to play against anyone, I try not to think about the ranking. I just want to do my best. Yeah, in the end, trying to win."
Speaking of rankings, Rybakina moves from No. 10 to No. 7 in the world with the victory.
Not too dispirited by the tough loss, Sabalenka admitted that losing that first set was emotionally draining, especially after staving off so many set points, then having so many of her own.
"Yeah, I was super disappointed with that, and I went to the toilet to switch off, to kind of reset and start everything from the beginning," she said. "Seems like in the first two games I wasn't there. I was just all over the place, and I was just trying to bring myself back on court and keep fighting. So, yeah, it didn't work well today."
The mercurial 24-year-old said she's bummed out, of course, but she'll have a clear mind moving on to Miami, the tour's next stop.
"For me it's quite easy. I think it's gonna stay in my head until tomorrow, and tomorrow we are flying to Miami and I will forget this one (smiling)," she said, reflecting on only her second loss in 2023. "Yeah, but, I mean, it's good to have these statistics in the season, but I'm not focusing on that. Yeah, but this one was tough, especially in the finals, it's always tough to lose, you know. You're, like, one step to the trophy and you losing it. This one is really tough. But she's a great player."
First-set tiebreaker
Here is a quick point-by-point breakdown of the wild final points of the epic first set, one of the most remarkable sets of tennis we've seen in Indian Wells. We'll start with the score tied 5-5 in the tiebreak.
6-5 Rybakina: Sabalenka has a nicely perched ball to hit a winner, but knocks it into the net.
6-6: Rybakina with her second set-point opportunity, including won at 5-4, watches a great return by Sabalenka and hits one long
7-6 Sabalenka: A beautiful backhand winner for Sabalenka she punctuates with a "C'mon!"
7-7: First set point try for Sabalenka and she double faults
8-7 Rybakina: A great return by Rybakina leads to a long ball from Sabalenka
8-8: It's a third set point for Rybakina but she double faults
9-8 Rybakina: Rybakina hits an ace
9-9: Fourth set point erased as Sabalenka hits an excellent first serve and Rybakina can't return it
10-9 Rybakina: Sabalenka double faults
10-10: Fifth set point for Rybakina, but Sabalenka hits a return that nips the baseline to set up a winning point
11-10 Sabalenka: A great return from Sabalenka handcuffs Rybakina and now she has her second set point
11-11: Sabalenka's second serve goes in this time, but it's ripped deep by Rybakina and Sabalenka can't get a racket on it
12-11 Rybakina: Another double fault for Sabalenka
13-11 Rybakina: Finally on the sixth attempt, Rybakina does it. After an impressive exchange, a forehand by Sabalenka sails long and she takes the first set. The crowd stands in a loud appreciative ovation of both players.
"This tiebreak was really epic, I would say, with all these double faults and nerves. So in the end, it was just focusing on every point and trying to fight till the end," Rybakina said.
Post-match fun
There was a funny exchange during the trophy presentation as Rybakina was speaking she offered congratulations to Sabalenka for a great match and said "This is actually the first time it went my way against you, and I'm sure we will have many more battles."
Then Sabalenka stepped up to the mic and said with a smile, "I'll make sure this is the last time."
It was a charming showcase of the personalities of two of the top players in the women's game, who likely will meet many more times, as their power games are unmatched right now except by each other.
Women's finals nuggets
Anthem flyover: The match began after a fantastic rendition of the National Anthem by Shelea Melody McDonald, synced perfectly with a military flyover. Two F35A Lightning II fighter jets from the United States Air Force piloted by the 308 Fighter Squadron from Lake Air Force Base in Phoneix buzzed Stadium 1 just as McDonald sang the final strains of the Anthem.
Doubles duty: While this is the first time in the final for both Sabalenka and Rybakina, both have played for the doubles title here at Indian Wells. Sabalenka lifted the title alongside Elise Mertens in 2019, while Rybakina was runner-up with Veronika Kudermetova in 2021. Had Sabalenka won she would've become the sixth woman to win a singles and doubles title here, joining Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis, Victoria Azarenka, Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva.
Slam champs meet: With Rybakina being the reigning Wimbledon champion and Sabalenka having won the Australian Open in January, this marks the first WTA event where the two finals participants are reigning Slam champions since 2019 when Naomi Osaka met Ash Barty in a final in Beijing.
Aussie repeat: Sabalenka beat Rybakina to win the Australian Open in January. It's the third time the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open have had identical finalists in the same year. It happened in 2000 with Lindsay Davenport beating Martina Hingis in both tournaments and in 2012 with Victoria Azarenka beating Maria Sharapova in both tournaments.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: Elena Rybakina survives wild first set to beat Aryna Sabalenka in Indian Wells
