The Kazakhstani, champion at Wimbledon last year, won at the age of 23 the fourth title of her career, after those also won in Bucharest in 2019 and Hobart in 2020.

She succeeds the list of winners to the world No. 1 Iga Swiatek whom she swept in the semifinals, as two months earlier in the eighth-finals at the Australian Open. A few days later in Melbourne, she fell in the final to Sabalenka in three sets, for the fourth time in as many confrontations.

"This is the first time that it goes as I wish, I hope we will play many more finals," said Rybakina, immediately cut off by her rival, saying with a smile: "and I will make sure it is the last time," causing general hilarity.

For their reunion in the Californian desert, the Kazakhstani was finally able to take revenge. And it was the win of the first set, extremely close, that decided the fate of the game, because then the frustration only grew in his opponent, weighed down by a crippling number of direct faults.

During 1h15 that lasted this set, the excitement was evident on both sides, but stronger in the Belarusian. Wasting two set balls, she committed no less than ten double faults, including three in the deciding game, also watered with many direct faults in the exchanges. Enough to hit his racket on the ground.

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the WTA 1000 Indian Wells tournament on March 19, 2023 in Indian Wells, California © Frederic J. BROWN / AFP

Hatching confirmed since Wimbledon

Rybakina, more solid on his commitment (7 aces in total), ended up winning, but it still took him six chances to take the decisive game.

In the aftermath, the Kazakhstani took advantage of the frustration of her opponent, to steal the serve from the beginning of the second set, again taking advantage of her direct faults.

Sabalenka had two break balls, without success at the end, even conceding on the contrary a new break to be trailed 5-2. Rybakina was nevertheless immediately caught up by the stakes on her serve, lost on a shutout, offering a reprieve to her rival.

But the Kazakhstani still managed to remain solid on her next commitment to inflict on the Belarusian her second defeat in 19 matches, under the eyes of the legendary Rod Laver, billionaire Bill Gates or singer P!nk.

First from his country to win the event and more generally a tournament of this category just below the Grand Slams, Rybakina confirms his emergence at the highest level since Wimbledon.

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in the final of the WTA 1000 Indian Wells tournament on March 19, 2023 in Indian Wells, California © Frederic J. BROWN / AFP

His career at Indian Wells saw him successively dismiss the world N.1 and N.2. She will be rewarded with a jump to 7th place in the WTA rankings published on Monday.

© 2023 AFP