Aryna Sabalenka clinched her maiden Indian Wells title after coming from behind to defeat Elena Rybakina in three sets in Sunday's blockbuster showpiece.

Sabalenka had looked set to suffer a third straight defeat to Rybakina, who triumphed in the finals at the WTA Finals and the Australian Open, but the Belarusian emerged a 3-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6) victor in two hours and 31 minutes.

There was little to split the pair early on, but Rybakina drew first blood by converting the first break point of the match.

Sabalenka was unable to fight back as Rybakina took the first set, but the world number one stayed in the contest in the second, responding to a break with a four-game winning streak.

She held off two more break points before taking the set on the second attempt, forcing a decider.

Sabalenka sailed into a 3-1 lead with an early break of her own in the third set, but Rybakina refused to back down, and when it looked like the match was getting away from her, she fought back to level at 5-5 before holding off five break points to hold her serve in the next game.

However, Rybakina was unable to continue her momentum into the tie-break, with Sabalenka needing 14 games to get herself over the line as she sealed the win with a fierce serve that her opponent returned long. 

PARADISE FOUND: @SabalenkaA digs deep to defeat Rybakina in a three set blockbuster final, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6)!#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/1VQdBXsoXf

— wta (@WTA) March 15, 2026

Data Debrief: Sabalenka battles back to glory

Sabalenka showcased her powers of recovery to triumph in California, becoming the first world number one to win the Indian Wells crown after coming from a first-set deficit for the first time since the tournament's inception in 1989.

The top seed also claimed her 20th hard-court WTA level title, becoming the first player to reach the milestone since Victoria Azarenka (Cincinnati 2020).

Sabalenka is the first player to win a WTA-1000 final after having saved match point since Iga Swiatek in Madrid 2024, which also came against the Belarusian. 

She is now the fourth player to claim 10+ WTA-1000 titles since the format's introduction in 2009, after Serena Williams (13), Swiatek (11) and Azarenka (10).