Aryna Sabalenka is the first player to win 10 consecutive matches at the Miami Open without dropping a set since Serena Williams won 11 matches without dropping a set between 2002 and 2003.
She’s still going strong after defeating rising American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday night in Miami to reach the semifinals and improve her 2026 record to 21-1.
The road gets tougher from here for the world No.1.
Sabalenka will face Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals of the 17th WTA Tour tournament in a showdown that has captured the attention of the tennis world.
Rybakina, newly ranked No. 2 in the world, defeated Jessica Pegula 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in her first quarterfinal on Wednesday.
They have already played two high-profile matches in 2026, with Rybakina recovering from a break in this year’s Australian Open final and defeating Sabalenka at Indian Wells earlier this month, where she saved a title point in the final set tie-break before winning the title for the first time in the California desert.
The two will meet for the first time in Miami, with Sabalenka leading slightly 9-7 overall.
Rybakina has won 13 of her last 14 matches against top-10 opponents, with her only blemish coming against Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final.
“I think I’ve always performed well against the top players,” she said when asked to explain her recent success against the WTA elite at Indian Wells. “Maybe the stats are different and I’ve lost these tough matches a little more often before, but I think I’ve gained that consistency with the experience over the years, so hopefully I can continue that.
“Also, you get to know the players better, so you play the same players multiple times, so you know what to expect.”
| date | Contest | surface | round | winner | Fraction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 2026 | Indian Wells | difficult | final | Sabalenka | 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) |
| January 19, 2026 | australian open | difficult | final | Rybakina | 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 |
| November 1, 2025 | Riyadh final | difficult | final | Rybakina | 6-3, 7-6(0) |
| October 6, 2025 | Wuhan | difficult | quality framework | Sabalenka | 6-3, 6-3 |
| August 7, 2025 | cincinnati | difficult | quality framework | Rybakina | 6-1, 6-4 |
| June 16, 2025 | Berlin | Grass | quality framework | Sabalenka | 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(6) |
| November 4, 2024 | Riyadh final | difficult | RR | Rybakina | 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 |
| April 22, 2024 | madrid | clay | SF Express | Sabalenka | 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) |
| January 1, 2024 | brisbane | difficult | final | Rybakina | 6-0, 6-3 |
| October 30, 2023 | cancun final | difficult | RR | Sabalenka | 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 |
| October 2, 2023 | Beijing | difficult | quality framework | Rybakina | 7-5, 6-2 |
| March 6, 2023 | Indian Wells | difficult | final | Rybakina | 7-6(11), 6-4 |
| January 16, 2023 | australian open | difficult | final | Sabalenka | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| June 28, 2021 | Wimbledon | Grass | R16 | Sabalenka | 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 |
| January 6, 2021 | abu dhabi | difficult | quality framework | Sabalenka | 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 |
| September 23, 2019 | Wuhan | difficult | quality framework | Sabalenka | 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 |
Baptiste’s powerful tennis
Batiste, competing in his first WTA 1000 quarterfinal, got his chance early. The world No. 45 faced the defending world No. 1 for the first time. She had three break opportunities in the first two sets, but she failed to seize the opportunity and was broken in the service game, chasing the score to 5-4.
The 24-year-old kept up the pressure in the second set.
Sabalenka broke serve at 4-2, but Baptiste responded immediately, breaking for the first time of the night and then held on to tie at 4-2.
But Sabalenka waited for her chance, winning the decisive break from Batiste, who double faulted in the first three points of the match and was unable to recover.
Sabalenka served from there to win her 10th straight win and her 10th straight in Miami, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in last year’s final without dropping a set.
Sabalenka also has a chance to become the fifth woman to complete the Sunshine Doubles. Only Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek have previously achieved this feat.
