Aryna Sabalenka booked her place in a third Indian Wells final in four years with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Linda Noskova.

The world number one prevailed in just under 90 minutes to set up a championship match showdown with Elena Rybakina, who defeated Elina Svitolina in straight sets.

Sabalenka, a beaten finalist in 2023 and 2025, broke twice during the opening set, with Noskova double-faulting twice in the sixth game on the way to falling behind.

The top seed claimed another break in the second set, while rescuing a break point in game eight, before holding for victory.

"Right now, my mentality is: if I make it to the final, I'll go out there, and I'll do everything I can and everything I cannot to get that trophy," said Sabalenka, who lost to Rybakina in January's Australian Open final.

"I'm so done of losing these big finals. It felt like even though players were playing incredible tennis in those finals, I feel like I had so many opportunities that I didn't use."

Rybakina overcame Svitolina 7-5 6-4 in one hour and 46 minutes to record her 12th straight win over a top-10 opponent.

The Australian Open champion responded to an early break, then broke again during a marathon 11th game before serving out the opening set.

Rybakina raced into a 5-1 lead during the second set, but Svitolina rescued two match points as she recovered to only trail 5-4.

However, the 2023 champion eventually made it third time lucky to book her place in Saturday's showpiece.

"We know each other's games very well," Rybakina said of facing Sabalenka. "It's going to be a difficult match where we are both going to try to serve well and apply pressure. We will see what's going to happen."

2025-2026 - Aryna Sabalenka is the first player to reach back-to-back finals in Indian Wells since Maria Sharapova (2012-2013) - she is the first to achieve the feat as World No. 1 since the tournament’s inception in 1989. Paradise.#TennisParadise | @BNPPARIBASOPEN @WTA pic.twitter.com/GIkmMG3fqa

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 14, 2026

Data Debrief: Sabalenka matches Sharapova, Seles and Graf

Sabalenka is the first player to reach back-to-back Indian Wells finals since Maria Sharapova (2012-2013), and joins Victoria Azarenka as the only active players to progress to the final on three separate occasions.

Her tally of three Indian Wells finals is only bettered by Lindsay Davenport (six), while she joins Monica Seles and Steffi Graf in reaching three straight finals at the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami).

Meanwhile, Rybakina is the fifth player since 2000 to record 12 or more consecutive victories over WTA top-10 opponents, after Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Justine Henin and Iga Swiatek.

It was her 16th win at Indian Wells; only at the Australian Open and Wimbledon (21 each) has she recorded more at a single WTA event.