World No. 4 Coco Gauff will chase her first Miami Open title on Saturday, facing No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the championship match.
The hometown tournament holds special meaning for Gauff, who grew up in Delray Beach just north of Miami. She battled through four consecutive three-set matches before dominating Karolina Muchova 6-1, 6-1 in Thursday's semifinals.
Coco Gauff defeated Belinda Bencic, Sorana Cirstea, Alycia Parks, and Elisabetta Cocciaretto in earlier rounds. She has now reached six WTA 1000 finals, joining Sabalenka and No. 5 Jessica Pegula as the only players to reach a 1000-level final every year since 2023.
The 21-year-old is seeking her 12th career title and first at the Miami Open. She's on track to claim No. 3 in the WTA rankings regardless of Saturday's result, leapfrogging current No. 3 Iga Świątek.
Gauff's biggest weapon against Sabalenka will be her break point conversion. She's converted 61 of 128 break point opportunities at WTA 1000 events this year, leading all players in both categories.
"We've played so many matches, and it's physical when I play her every time," Gauff said of Saturday's opponent. "She's playing great tennis. She's definitely world No. 1 for a reason, and it's going to be a great challenge."
Sabalenka now stands between Gauff and the tournament title. The Belarusian star won Indian Wells two weeks ago, and now hunts a Sunshine Double sweep while also defending her 2025 Miami Open crown. She has not dropped a set in Miami since kicking off her 2026 campaign.
The match marks the rivals' 13th meeting, with their head-to-head tied 6-6. Saturday's champion is set to earn $1,151,380 plus 1,000 ranking points.
How to Watch Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka at the Miami Open Final
Sabalenka and Gauff will meet in the Miami Open final on Saturday at 3 PM ET, live on The Tennis Chanel.
