Sabalenka’s Backhand Masterpiece Saves Match Point and Wins Indian Wells

One backhand winner defined Aryna Sabalenka’s Indian Wells title. Down 5-6 in the deciding tiebreak against Elena Rybakina and facing a match point, she produced a crunching backhand that saved the match and shifted the momentum back in her favour. She won on her next opportunity to claim the title.
Sabalenka had been under significant pressure throughout the third set, having served for the match at 5-4 only to be broken by Rybakina. The Kazakh then saved five break points in a pivotal game, taking the tiebreak with momentum behind her.
For a player who had described herself as “so done” with losing big finals, and who had lost four consecutive finals to Rybakina, the pressure in that tiebreak must have been immense. Yet Sabalenka’s execution of the match-point save was flawless.
The final scoreline of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) told only part of the story. This was a match of sustained intensity between two of the world’s most powerful players, producing tennis of extraordinary quality and drama from beginning to end.
On the men’s side, Sinner completed an equally impressive title run, defeating Medvedev 7-6(6), 7-6(4) without dropping a set all tournament. His seven-point comeback from 4-0 down in the second tiebreak and Sabalenka’s backhand match-point save were the two defining moments of Indian Wells 2026.