Aryna Sabalenka rates Miami Open level "a good 8" as Sunshine Double hunt continues

Aryna Sabalenka knows her best tennis will be required to finish off the coveted Sunshine Double this spring, and so far in Miami, the world No. 1 is rating her efforts "a good 8" on a scale to 10.

"I always leave a gap for improvement," she told Prakash Amritraj on Tennis Channel after beating American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. "There were a few things that didn't work the way I wanted them to work, but overall, I'm super happy."

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Sabalenka's winning streak now stands at 10 matches as she seeks to be the second woman this decade after Iga Swiatek in 2022, and fifth all-time, to win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. She hasn't lost a set in four wins, and told Amritraj that she's not treating the business end of this tournament any differently as she also eyes a second straight Miami win.

"I feel like it's really important to keep the same routine, not really pay attention to the rounds," she continued. "Just take it one step at a time, it doesn't matter if it's the first round, if it's the final, I think that's important. I feel like if you start changing your routine, at the end of the tournament, this is where you shift your focus and you give too much attention to this."

Sabalenka and Rybakina will play for a 17th time overall when they play in the semifinals Thursday night, and for the third time in the first three months of 2026. Admitting she got "a little lucky" in her dramatic, championship-point saving win over Rybakina in the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells 10 days ago, Sabalenka said that she "loves" the challenge of facing the newly-minted world No. 2.

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"When someone pushes you to the limit, this is the moment where you grow, where you become a better player, where you test your level and your strength," she said. "I absolutely love it.

"We've played a lot of matches recently, and all of them have been a battle, all of them have been a show, and I just can't wait to step on court tomorrow."