Aryna Sabalenka discusses rivalry with ‘nice’ Elena Rybakina after Indian Wells classic

Oli Dickson Jefford 16 Mar 2026 1:45 PM

Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka after the 2026 Indian Wells final.

Aryna Sabalenka has named Elena Rybakina as the “kindest” player on the WTA Tour as she discussed her growing rivalry with the new world No 2.

Sabalenka saved a championship point to defeat Rybakina in an enthralling Indian Wells final on Sunday, sealing victory in a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) instant classic to triumph at the prestigious WTA 1000 event for the first time.

Victory for Sabalenka cemented her place as the world No 1, while Rybakina has risen to a career-high of world No 2 in the WTA Rankings thanks to her run in Tennis Paradise.

Sabalenka and Rybakina have been two of the standout players in the women’s game in recent years, and their rivalry is perhaps the best on the WTA right now.

Following her victory in Indian Wells, the world No 1 has a narrow 9-7 lead in their head-to-head.

However, despite her loss on Sunday, Rybakina still has a winning 4-2 record when the two meet in finals, most recently beating Sabalenka in the WTA Finals and Australian Open championship matches.

Few can push world No 1 Sabalenka quite like the Kazakh, and this victory — her 23rd WTA singles title — may be among the most satisfying, considering how hard she had to push to beat the world No 2.

After claiming the title, Sabalenka was asked about what it took to challenge and beat Rybakina in big matches and about their relationship.

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“She’s [Rybakina] a nice one. I would say that she’s the kindest one on tour,” said Sabalenka.

“We have been playing for so long so many matches. And honestly, I really enjoy it, even though I lost so many of them and really painful ones.

“But still I enjoy it because it means that the final gonna be a show, it’s gonna be great tennis, great level, and it’s gonna be a fight, which is great for people to watch and also for me to become a better player.

“So I really enjoy our rivalry. So, yeah, I like her as a person, as a player, and I enjoy these battles. But I really hope that I’m gonna win all of them from now on.”

This was the sixth meeting between Sabalenka and Rybakina since last June, with those matches split equally at three wins apiece.

And, the two could now be set for another clash in the main draw of the Miami Open, the second half of the famed ‘Sunshine Double’.

With the draw made on Sunday, before the WTA Rankings updated on Monday, Rybakina is the third seed at the event — and has landed in the same half as Sabalenka, the top seed and reigning Miami Open champion.

That means the two are projected to meet at the semi-final stage of the event, with second seed Iga Swiatek — now the world No 3 — headlining the bottom half of the draw.

Sabalenka will be looking to become the first woman since Ashleigh Barty in 2021 to successfully defend the title, and become the first woman since compatriot Victoria Azarenka in 2016 to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season.

Meanwhile, Rybakina will hope to triumph at the WTA 1000 event for the first time, having lost the final to Petra Kvitova in 2023 and Danielle Collins in 2024.

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