Elena Rybakina shares her honest thoughts about facing Aryna Sabalenka again in Miami

Photo by William WEST / AFP via Getty Images

Elena Rybakina shares her honest thoughts about facing Aryna Sabalenka again in Miami

Originally posted on HITC | By Max Kilham | Last updated May 5, 2026 4:09 PM ET

Rybakina fights back to beat Pegula and sets up Sabalenka rematch

Elena Rybakina’s impressive run of form continued at the Miami Open, as she fought back from a set down to defeat Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.

The match didn’t start well for Rybakina, who dropped the opening set and looked off her game early on.

Pegula had chances to take control in the second set, holding several break points, but couldn’t convert any of them.

Rybakina made her pay for those missed opportunities, rallying to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and extend her head-to-head dominance over Pegula.

The Kazakh is now the first player on tour to beat Pegula five times in a row.

Looking ahead to her semi-final against Aryna Sabalenka – their third meeting this season – Rybakina was asked if she was motivated by revenge following her recent loss in Indian Wells.

Elena Rybakina looks ahead to showdown with Aryna Sabalenka

Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Rybakina also spoke about why she enjoys playing against Sabalenka during her post-match press conference.

The world number two said: “I’m just on the path of this consistency. For now, this year has been good but I still feel like the season is not even half way yet and it’s great to play against Aryna.

“We are always pushing each other in a way that you can see what you need to improve. “If she wins it’s going to be another challenge where I need to serve well and really take care of my game knowing that on the other side she can hit a lot of good shots. Winners and good serves. “I will try to focus on myself more. Somehow stay fresh for this match again.”

Coco Gauff beat Belinda Bencic 7-5 6-3 in her quarter-final match-up while Karolina Muchova defeated talented Canadian youngster Victoria Mboko 6-3 6-0.

Sabalenka vs Rybakina: How to catch the Miami Open semi-final wherever you are

If you’re in the UK, you’ll need to be up late to catch Aryna Sabalenka v Elena Rybakina, with play set to get underway at 12:30 am GMT.

Over on the US east coast, fans can tune in at a more reasonable hour – 8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time. Meanwhile, those in Kazakhstan will have an early start, with coverage beginning at 5:30 am local time.

In Belarus, the match is scheduled for a 3:30 am start on Friday. No matter where you are, it’s one of those fixtures worth staying up or waking up early for.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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