Sabalenka's Miami victory parallels four female stars, Gauff replaces Swiatek to return to world No. 3.

As the most anticipated contender for the Miami 1000 title, Sabalenka did not let the plot deviate in her final match against Gauff, fulfilling supporters' expectations as promised and successfully claiming the championship.

This was the 13th encounter between Sabalenka and Gauff, with each winning six of their previous 12 matches, resulting in a tied record.

The reason this focal duel ignited even before the match relates to "one law and Collins' remarks"!

When Sabalenka and Gauff met in the final, fans and netizens beforehand highlighted an interesting phenomenon they observed, calling it the "Wuhan Open law": whoever wins the Wuhan Open also wins Miami!

Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open in 2024 and successfully lifted the trophy in Miami in 2025; Gauff topped the Wuhan Open in 2025 and this time advanced to the Miami final for the first time, achieving another major breakthrough in her career. Could this law continue to hold?

American player Collins, when predicting this "Sabalenka-Gauff battle," directly cast her trust vote for compatriot Gauff. The reason was simple: "Gauff always forces Sabalenka out of her comfortable hitting zone and pushes her into errors. Based on this week's performance, Gauff is fully capable of playing her own style."

Precisely because of these two matters, people's mindset underwent subtle changes while watching this match. Besides wanting to know if Sabalenka could break the so-called "law," they also wanted to see if Gauff, as Collins said, would use her own style to severely challenge the Belarusian player in Miami.

However, judging from Gauff's performance in the first set, some joked that the American player probably hadn't read Collins' words. Not only did she fail to play her own style and put Sabalenka in a passive position, but she also suffered a disastrous start of 0-2.

Before the match, Sabalenka had expressed her determination to win this championship. After Gauff became the pursuer, it naturally increased the difficulty for her to level the score.

When the Belarusian player took the first set 6-2 and gained an early advantage, she completely pushed Gauff into a situation with no retreat in the entire match, bringing immense pressure.

It must be commended for the American player that under such tremendous pressure, after leading 5-4 in the second set, Gauff finally displayed the style Collins mentioned in the tenth game, which was also Sabalenka's service game. Successfully executing a surprise attack, she won the set 6-4.

Unfortunately, this set did not become the turning point altering the match's course but rather a lament for Gauff's defeat. Entering the decisive set, Gauff's brilliant performance at the end of the second set seemed like a fleeting resurgence. She was immediately blasted 2-0 at the start, exactly mirroring the opening of the first set.

After seizing control of the match, Sabalenka not only maintained her advantage throughout but also concluded the match in a manner many joked was "with a sense of revenge." She successfully broke Gauff's serve in the ninth game, when the American had no retreat in the entire match, avenging her own fatal break and loss at the end of the second set, while also finishing the battle 6-3, changing their head-to-head record to 7-6.

After defeating Gauff to win the championship, many praised the Belarusian player as remarkable. Not only did she directly invalidate the pre-match external "law," but she also achieved 23 wins since the new season began, losing only one match so far. Simultaneously, she increased her 1000-level titles to 11, turning her career total championships from 23 to 24.

Additionally, Sabalenka's Miami championship also allowed her to join four female tennis stars, becoming the fifth woman to win the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami) back-to-back in a single season. Previously, only Graf, Clijsters, Azarenka, and Swiatek had accomplished this feat.

Post-match, Sabalenka referred to Gauff as a "tenacious fighter," stating frankly that precisely because of her, "I become better, I become a better player."

Although the Belarusian player's evaluation of Gauff was high, regrettably winning the runner-up position could not conceal the American's disappointment. Many fans and netizens promptly offered warm comfort to Gauff: "Success or failure defines life's boldness; there is ample time ahead, and opportunities abound in the future."

Of course, Gauff did not gain nothing. Though this runner-up is not as dazzling as the champion, it officially allowed the American player to replace Swiatek and return to world No. 3, pushing the Polish player to world No. 4.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River's Sky)