Elena Rybakina won her first WTA 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on a cool, cloudy, and windy Sunday afternoon in a match that lasted just over two hours. The Kazakhstani player defeated Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(11) 6-4, breaking the curse of losing in all four of their previous encounters.
Reflecting on what made the difference, the victor explained to the media: “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.