| ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA –Aryna Sabalenka became the fifth player in WTA history to complete the Sunshine Double, winning the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open presented by Itau. By virtue of her back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami, Sabalenka moves to the top of the PIF Race to WTA Finals Leaderboard. SABALENKA BECOMES FIFTH TO COMPLETE SUNSHINE DOUBLE Sabalenka is the fifth player to complete the Sunshine Double since both events (Indian Wells and Miami) were calendarized in 1989, following Steffi Graf (1994 and 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005), Victoria Azarenka (2016) and Iga Swiatek (2022). Sabalenka’s historical run at the two WTA 1000 events in March earned her 2,000 race points, paving the way to her climb. She overtakes Elena Rybakina, the 2026 Australian Open champion who has also enjoyed success on the swings’ back-to-back WTA 1000s, reaching the title match in Indian Wells and finishing as a semifinalist in Miami – both losses coming against Sabalenka – earning 1,040 race points and the No.2 position on the Leaderboard. With Jessica Pegula and Elina Svitolina staying at No.3 and No.4, respectively, Karolina Muchova climbed one spot on the Leaderboard to No.5 after earning 510 race points during Indian Wells (round of 16) and Miami (semifinals). The Race Leaderboard ultimately determines qualification for the WTA Finals and also provides insight into the players making the strongest start to the 2026 season on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes Benz. |
| SINIAKOVA AND TOWNSEND ALSO COMPLETE THE DOUBLE The doubles team of Katerina Siniakova & Taylor Townsend also wrote their names into the record books this weekend by similarly completing the Sunshine Double following their success at Miami and Indian Wells across March. They are the first paring to achieve the feat since 2019, with Sabalenka partnering Elisa Mertens that year to lift both winners’ trophies. The USA-Czech duo move up to third on the Leaderboard, trailing second-place Gabriela Dabrowski & Luisa Stefani and leaders Aleksandra Krunic & Anna Danilina |
| Click here to see the full PIF Race to the WTA Finals Leaderboard in singles and doubles. The Tour Calendar now switches attention to the Credit One Charleston Open and the Copa Colsanitas Colsubsidio this week. Click here to see the full 2026 WTA calendar. The WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF features the Top 8 singles and doubles teams on the PIF Race to the WTA Finals Leaderboard (with the 8th spot going to the singles player and doubles team that have won a Grand Slam if ranked No.8 to No.20). This showcases the world’s best eight singles players and doubles teams competing in a round-robin format with the singles champion lifting the WTA Finals Billie Jean King Trophy and the doubles champions earning the WTA Finals Martina Navratilova Trophy. |
