Sabalenka saves match point and doubles revenge on Rybakina to win the title, Sinner battles through injury and wins double tie-breakers to defeat Medvedev and claim the trophy.

Both the men's and women's singles at Indian Wells produced new champions: Sabalenka in women's singles and Sinner in men's singles!

Third time's the charm—this time Sabalenka finally achieved her wish, leaving no regrets at Indian Wells!

Before the championship match against Rybakina began, Sabalenka had already displayed her determination to win. Her statement of disliking losing finals was both a display of ambition and a defiant resistance against defeat.

The Belarusian player had previously reached the finals twice at Indian Wells, both times ending as runner-up: losing to Rybakina in 2023 and to Andreeva in 2025. Moreover, after suffering a heavy defeat against Rybakina in this year's Australian Open final and finishing runner-up at Melbourne Park for two consecutive years, this encounter with Rybakina seemed particularly meaningful, dubbed by fans and netizens as a "double revenge" battle.

Although Sabalenka's ambition to return stronger was evident, and some said the Belarusian player's inner bitterness and helplessness were understandable, Rybakina was currently at her peak, making it extremely difficult to end a four-match losing streak and achieve sweet revenge.

It is often said that ambitious individuals are formidable, and this was clearly demonstrated by Sabalenka at Indian Wells. Combined with the burning flame of revenge within her heart, it transformed the Belarusian player into a fearless warrior in critical moments, ultimately leading to a favorable outcome. She reversed Rybakina with a 2-1 victory, dispelling past disappointments and becoming the smiling flower on the women's singles court at Indian Wells.

Many fans and netizens believe Sabalenka deserves two accolades because her way of winning the championship was both dominant and surprising.

When Rybakina took the initiative in the first set, winning 6-3 and enveloping the Belarusian player with momentum like the scorching heat in Indian Wells, many thought Sabalenka would likely suffer a fifth consecutive defeat.

However, unexpectedly, under such strong pressure from Rybakina, Sabalenka fought desperately and quickly returned a 6-3 to the Kazakh beauty in the second set.

The deciding set was even more thrilling, akin to an intense suspense drama.

When Sabalenka reached 5-3, the pinnacle of the entire match, many believed it would soon conclude with Rybakina being reversed. Yet, under immense pressure, the Kazakh beauty unleashed astonishing energy, saving three consecutive games to resolve the crisis, then leading 6-5 and shifting all pressure to Sabalenka. Although the Belarusian player pushed the deciding set into a tie-break, Rybakina still held the advantage on court.

When Rybakina held that championship point, some exclaimed that Sabalenka's previous efforts would go to waste. Instead, the crisis ignited even higher fighting spirit in the Belarusian player, who ultimately won the tie-break under such passive circumstances, reversing Rybakina in a narrow victory and finally claiming the Indian Wells 1000 title.

This championship allowed Sabalenka to end her embarrassing four-match losing streak against Rybakina and increased her tally of 1000-level titles to ten. Since the WTA reforms in 2009, she became the third player in women's tennis 1000-level history, currently trailing only Serena Williams' 13 and Swiatek's 11 in such championship counts.

Rybakina's loss after holding a favorable position left supporters heartbroken, also abruptly ending her previous 12-match winning streak against top-ten players.

The championship battle between Sinner and Medvedev, though not as dramatic as Rybakina and Sabalenka's match, still made spectators sweat nervously. Both sets went to tie-breakers, ultimately ending with Sinner emerging victorious.

This men's singles championship showdown was dubbed by outsiders before the match as "the perfect Sunshine Double championship battle." The reason is that both Sinner and Medvedev had previously won the Miami Masters title; whoever won would accomplish the feat of claiming both North American titles. Unfortunately, during the crucial tie-break stages, Medvedev's performance fell short compared to Sinner's brilliance, preventing him from enjoying such a splendid moment alone. He could only watch as the Italian lifted the championship trophy in celebration, himself relegated to a supporting role smiling beside.

After this match, it also highlighted Sinner's greatness from another perspective.

Previously, when the Italian defeated Zverev and revealed back pain suggesting injury, many thought Medvedev had a golden opportunity to win. Yet, even battling through injury, the Italian still defeated Medvedev via double tie-breakers. Some fans and netizens remarked that if the Russian star faced a fully healthy Sinner, he likely wouldn't have gotten the chance to play double tie-breakers, underscoring Sinner's formidable nature. Additionally, achieving the feat of winning all six major hardcourt tournaments further solidified Sinner as the rightful first among post-2000 players in this regard.Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River's Sky)