Aryna Sabalenka Cruises Into Miami Open Quarter-Finals as Coco Gauff Survives Three-Set Battle

Posted : 24 March 2026

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka continued her ruthless march through the Miami Open draw on Monday. The world number one required just 85 minutes to dismiss China’s Zheng Qinwen with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Sabalenka’s serve was the cornerstone of her performance, as she landed 81% of her first deliveries and won a staggering 67% of points on her second serve. The Belarusian has now reached 15 consecutive WTA quarter-finals, a feat of consistency not seen since Justine Henin in 2008.

Sabalenka will next face rising American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals. Baptiste secured her maiden WTA 1000 quarter-final appearance by upsetting 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-4. The 22-year-old American has been the surprise package of the tournament, progressing to the final eight without dropping a single set. Her victory over the former French Open champion sets up a high-powered baseline clash against the top-seeded Sabalenka on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, home favorite Coco Gauff had a more turbulent path to the next round. The fourth seed eventually defeated Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in a match that lasted over two hours. Gauff struggled significantly with her rhythm, committing six double faults and dropping her serve five times. However, she found her composure in the deciding set, winning eight of the final nine points on her service games to pull away from the veteran Romanian.

Gauff admitted after the match that her preparation had been hampered by a nerve injury in her left arm that forced her out of Indian Wells earlier this month. Despite the lack of match practice, she noted that playing in her home tournament provided a unique sense of support rather than pressure. She believes that lowering her internal expectations has allowed her to play with more freedom as the tournament enters its business end.

The American star now prepares for a quarter-final showdown against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. Bencic advanced with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over Amanda Anisimova, needing only 78 minutes to complete the win. With the current world rankings tightening, Gauff's performance in the coming days will be crucial for her standing in the top five, as she looks to become the first American woman to win in Miami since Sloane Stephens in 2018.

Aryna Sabalenka Cruises Into Miami Open Quarter-Finals as Coco Gauff Survives Three-Set Battle

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