MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Aryna Sabalenka entered the Miami Open final against Jessica Pegula with 18 career titles on her elite resume.

The Miami Open crown had proved elusive until Saturday.

The No. 1 seed from Belarus knocked off fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 for her first Miami Open title in a rematch of the 2024 US Open final.

Sabalenka fired up her lethal forehand in posting 22 winners on that wing to win the $1.1 million first prize. Sabalenka hit a backhand passing shot on match point after which she raised both hands to the air and looked up to the sky.

“Thank god the rain stopped,” Sabalenka said, lauding the crowd after the victory. “It was like Miami was crying that I won this tournament. I enjoyed playing here, every minute of it.”

Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had won the US Open over Pegula, also in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, but in 2025, Sabalenka’s finals luck had run out.

The 26-year-old power player had reached the finals of four of six events this year, though only copped one title (Brisbane) before Miami. Sabalenka lost in the finals of the Australian Open and at Indian Wells — the event that preceded Miami.

Sabalenka now lives in Miami, but Pegula had the crowd support. Pegula, a 31-year-old Buffalo native, has lived in Boca Raton since she was 13 and is daughter of Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was in attendance as the league owners meetings takes place Monday in nearby Palm Beach.

“Congrats to you, Aryna, and your team,” Pegula said in accepting the runner-up trophy on the court. “I really, really don’t want to like you right now. But, you know, you’re the best player in the world for a reason. And you keep pushing everybody and everyone to get better.”

Neither player could hold serve well in the first set. Sabalenka broke Pegula’s serve four times and won it 7-5, winning the last eight points of the set.

Pegula was up a break at 3-2 but couldn’t hold it in a topsy-turvy set that also saw Pegula break Sabalenka’s serve three times.

At 5-5, Sabalenka held serve at love for 6-5 lead, then broke Pegula at love after hitting three straight winners – two at the net.

Sabalenka leads the series vs. Pegula 7-2 and has won the last three meetings.

The men’s doubles final, first on the card, was stopped by rain in the second set with No. 1 seed Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic leading No. 6 Julian Cash/Lloyd Glasspool 7-6, 3-2. 30-30. Arevalo/Pavic closed out the championship quickly 7-6, 6-3, but the rain delay caused the 3 p.m. ET women’s final to begin more than one hour tardy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.