World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka enjoyed a memorable victory at Indian Wells Open on Sunday, but her big moment was briefly overshadowed by an awkward on-court blunder when her name was badly mispronounced during the trophy presentation.
Moments after lifting the title at the prestigious BNP Paribas Open, the Belarusian star walked onto the stage for the presentation ceremony.
But as the announcer introduced the champion to the crowd, he mistakenly referred to her as “Aryna Sa-blanka”.
The gaffe drew attention from spectators in the California desert, though Sabalenka appeared unfazed by the mix-up as she stepped forward smiling to collect her trophy.
The 27-year-old had just completed a dramatic comeback victory over Elena Rybakina to finally claim the Indian Wells crown after coming close in previous years.
Sabalenka recovered from losing the opening set to defeat her rival 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 in a gripping final that lasted nearly three hours.
The triumph marked her first title at Indian Wells, a prestigious WTA 1000 event often described as tennis’ unofficial “fifth Grand Slam”.
Oh no. https://t.co/QQ24Pt3f4X
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) March 15, 2026
It was a particularly sweet victory for the Belarusian after twice finishing runner-up at the tournament.
Sabalenka had fallen short in the 2023 and 2025 finals before finally breaking through to secure the trophy this time around.
Sunday’s final was played in sweltering conditions in the California desert, with temperatures climbing into the 90s as both players battled through a tense three-set contest.
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Rybakina initially appeared on course for victory after taking the first set 6-3 with her trademark powerful hitting.
But Sabalenka responded strongly in the second set, raising her intensity from the baseline to level the match and force a decider.
The final set proved a rollercoaster.
Sabalenka looked ready to close out the match when she served for the championship at 5-4, only for Rybakina to break back and extend the contest.
The drama intensified in the deciding tiebreak when Rybakina held a championship point, putting the Kazakh star just one point away from victory.
Yet Sabalenka showed her fighting spirit, producing a stunning backhand winner to save the match before regaining control of the tiebreak.
Aryna Sabalenka was delighted after her triumph at Indian Wells
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REUTERS
Moments later she sealed the title with a powerful serve that Rybakina returned long, sparking celebrations on centre court.
The final was the 16th meeting between the two rivals, with Sabalenka now holding a 9-7 advantage in their head-to-head record.
Rybakina had enjoyed recent success against the Belarusian, defeating her in the final at Indian Wells in 2023 as well as in the championship match at the WTA Finals in 2025 and earlier this year at the Australian Open.
But this time Sabalenka had the final word.
“What a day,” the world No 1 said on court after finally lifting the Indian Wells trophy.
Later on Sunday, the men’s final saw Jannik Sinner claim his maiden Indian Wells title with a straight-sets victory over Daniil Medvedev. The Italian edged two tight tiebreaks to win 7-6, 7-6 and cap a dramatic day of tennis in the California desert.
