Coco Gauff finds positives after losing Miami Open final as Aryna Sabalenka completes Sunshine Double

Gauff leaves Miami Gardens encouraged after three-set final

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Coco Gauff closed her Miami Open run with a message of perspective after falling in the women’s singles final on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The 21-year-old American told the crowd, “It sucks not to come out with a better result but I had a lot of joy this week,” adding that the fans “brought energy every day this week.”

Gauff, playing in her hometown tournament at Hard Rock Stadium, was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, a result that extended Sabalenka’s Miami title streak to two consecutive years. The match lasted 2 hours, 11 minutes and ended with Sabalenka breaking serve for the fourth time when Gauff pushed a backhand wide.

How the match turned on serve and early momentum in the decider

After dropping the first set, Gauff steadied enough to level the match in the second. The third set pivoted quickly: Sabalenka broke in the opening game, helped by a Gauff double fault and an unforced error, then sealed control with baseline pressure.

Gauff later identified that opening game of the deciding set as decisive. “I was disappointed about that first game of the third set up 30-0 with momentum,” she said. “It was an important game to win in that moment.”

• Gauff recorded seven double faults; Sabalenka had none.
• Sabalenka’s heaviest damage came in the first and third sets, where she produced stretches of commanding groundstroke winners.
• The final break, Gauff’s fourth time losing serve in the match, ended the contest.

Sabalenka’s title run adds historic March double

The victory completed the “Sunshine Double” for Sabalenka — winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same season — a feat last achieved on the women’s side in 2022. The win also nudged Sabalenka ahead in her head-to-head rivalry with Gauff, 7-6.

Sabalenka acknowledged the competitive pull of the matchup during the trophy ceremony, telling Gauff, “You’ve pushed me to be a better player,” and praised the tournament atmosphere: “You always bring a full stadium.”

“It sucks not to come out with a better result but I had a lot of joy this week.” — Coco Gauff

What Gauff takes from the week

While the final ended in disappointment, Gauff framed the tournament as a step forward built on crowd support and match-to-match progress. Against an opponent who has repeatedly tested her at the sport’s biggest stages, Gauff’s focus after the loss centered less on the result than on sustaining the level she reached through the fortnight in Miami Gardens.