Aryna Sabalenka survives Elena Rybakina championship point in Indian Wells thriller leaving Martina Navratilova screaming courtside (Image via Getty)
Aryna Sabalenka produced one of the biggest comebacks of the tennis season to win the 2026 Indian Wells title, beating Elena Rybakina in a dramatic three-set final. The world No. 1 from Belarus lost the opening set but fought back strongly to win 3–6, 6–3, 7–6 (8–6).
The championship match concluded with a tense tiebreaker which saw Sabalenka save a championship point before she won the championship. The match delivered an exciting fight between two top-ranked WTA players. The match kept spectators excited as both competitors delivered powerful serves and aggressive groundstrokes throughout the match. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova watched the match in close detail.
She watched the final match from her court-side seat and found the final moments of the match to be unbelievable. Martina Navratilova expressed her shock and excitement through loud reactions after Sabalenka saved the match’s critical point.
Martina Navratilova and Tim Henman stunned as Aryna Sabalenka saves championship point against Elena Rybakina in Indian Wells final
The final set was already intense, but the championship tiebreak made it even more dramatic. Aryna Sabalenka fell behind during the tiebreak and looked close to losing the match.
Elena Rybakina then created a championship point with a strong serve that reached about 121 mph, putting huge pressure on the Belarusian star.But Sabalenka refused to give up, she returned the serve strongly and followed it with two powerful groundstrokes to stay alive in the match. That short exchange turned out to be one of the most talked-about moments of the final.Speaking on Sky Sports, Martina Navratilova described how stunned she was while watching it happen live.
She said, “The way she saved that match point, I screamed. She hit three quality shots. Rybakina hits a 121mph first serve and it comes back with interest, and then two unbelievable ground strokes. I don’t know if I have seen a better save of a match point than that.”Former British player Tim Henman also praised the level both players showed in the final. He said the power and clean hitting from both sides made the match special.Henman explained, “The ball striking, the power on the serve, from both wings. They were going from corner to corner, they were crushing it. The lack of unforced errors emphasised how confident both players are.”He also pointed out how painful the result must have been for Rybakina after getting so close.Henman added, “It’s one of those scenarios where you just feel sad that somebody has to lose and Rybakina came so very close with that match point. An amazing match.”In the end, Sabalenka held her nerve in the final moments of the tiebreak to win the title. The victory gave her first Indian Wells crown and another WTA 1000 trophy, completing a dramatic comeback in one of the best matches of the year.
