Sabalenka’s Week of Joy: Puppy, Proposal, and a Perfect Tennis Title

When Aryna Sabalenka described the week as one she would never forget for the rest of her life, the understatement was palpable. In the space of seven days in Indian Wells, the women’s world number one got engaged, welcomed a new puppy, and claimed the BNP Paribas Open title with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) victory over Elena Rybakina.
The professional context of the title made the personal joy even sweeter. Sabalenka had lost four consecutive finals to Rybakina — a sequence that had become a significant psychological challenge. She had spoken publicly before the tournament about her frustration at losing big finals and her determination to turn that narrative around.
Against Rybakina, who was on a 12-match winning streak against top-10 opponents, Sabalenka had to dig deep from the moment the match began. The Kazakh’s first set was commanding, and breaking in the second appeared to give her the match.
Sabalenka’s turnaround was complete and convincing, winning four consecutive games in the second set and then battling through a third that reached a tiebreak. At 5-6 in that tiebreak, facing a match point, her backhand winner was one of the shots of the tournament.
The celebrations that followed — on court with her fiance and puppy — were among the most joyful scenes of the entire tennis calendar. Sabalenka’s story at Indian Wells 2026 was one of resilience, love, and the kind of happiness that transcends sport.