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The Emotional Journey of a Tennis Champion

Saturday, May 9, 2026
5 min read
The Emotional Journey of a Tennis Champion

It was a sweep, actually, with the Indian Wells results tacked on.

She’s the world number one from Belarus. And now she’s done it twice. The Sunshine Double .

It’s a big deal.

All trying to win both titles in the same year.

“My goal has always been to put my name in the history, and I just did it.” That felt heavy.

She was underlined as dominant this season. But she handled things well in Miami.

She handed Gauff her first career loss on a hardcourt final. That’s something.

Gauff, meanwhile, had won nine hardcourt finals already. Including that match against Sabalenka at the US Open championship. And she’d taken the title from the Belarusian on red clay back in Roland Garros last year.

There was tension in that Miami match. Sabalenka knew Gauff was fighting hard.

“I knew that she’s going to try her very best to fight in this match,” Sabalenka admitted.

But the focus shifted quickly. She was trying to keep a positive mindset. She focused on handling her emotions. Staying locked in from the start to the end.

What a month for her. Not just the trophies. She got a new puppy. And she got engaged to Georgios Frangulis.

Gauff had a rough March. She had to withdraw from the Indian Wells third round. A nerve issue flared up. Pain in her left arm. It was scary.

She had been making progress, though. She’d said she was working on her serve and forehand inconsistencies. But those double faults against Sabalenka hurt.

Considering skipping the tournament, the 22-year-old was thrilled just to reach the final for the first time.

“I feel like I’m nowhere near my peak of my tennis,” she told people. “So I think it gives me comfort a little bit playing these tournaments and having great results.”

It’s a complicated picture. All that winning, but also that feeling of just being somewhere in the middle. The pressure is always there.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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