Coco Gauff will face Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami Open final at Hard Rock Stadium. Gauff dominated Karolina Muchova 6-1, 6-1 in the first semi-final to reach her first Miami final.
Gauff’s Path to the Final
Gauff admitted she considered skipping this tournament after suffering a left arm injury in a match against Alexandra Eala in Indian Wells and retiring. Miami is a bucket list tournament for her, and she desperately wanted to play here. She was hopeful that she’d finally have a big result here, having never gotten past the fourth round in Miami.
Mission accomplished.
Gauff’s Semifinal Performance
It’s been a grind for Gauff this past week, with four straight three-set wins in five exhausting days. But then came the semifinal against Muchova, who had dominated Eala earlier in the week and was coming off an extremely impressive win over Victoria Mboko. Gauff looked as fresh, energetic and strong as she has all season.
Gauff got to everything and dictated the points, targeting Muchova’s backhand and punishing her second service. The two-time Grand Slam champion broke Muchova six times. Gauff won 12 of the last 13 games and won 80 percent of points on Muchova’s second serve.
Sabalenka Awaits in the Final
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have split their 12 career meetings. Sabalenka is one win away from sweeping the Sunshine Double. She would be the first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz player to do so since 2022.
After missing all of February, Sabalenka won Indian Wells for the first time, overcoming rival Elena Rybakina in a thrilling three-set final. She also won five more matches in Miami this week, again taking down Rybakina.
The Final Showdown
Sabalenka will meet Coco Gauff in the Miami Open final. To cross it off the bucket list, Gauff will have to upset the hottest player in the world.