Two espresso martinis and Five Guys; that’s Aryna Sabalenka’s calorie-rich party plan following her maiden title triumph at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The reigning World No. 1 Belarusian spoke candidly about it after her comeback win over rival Elena Rybakina in the women’s singles championship match in the Californian desert.
Sabalenka lost to Rybakina in the 2023 final in Indian Wells and after the Kazakh took the first set 6-3 this time around, it seemed as if history would repeat itself. However, the Belarusian was in no mood to give in, as she squared things up by winning the second set by the same margin and then clinched the third 7-6(6) to earn her 23rd career singles title.
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Later, the World No. 1 interacted with reporters at a press conference, where she revealed her party plans, saying:
“Well, I guess a couple espresso martinis, probably, and Five Guys to go. Basically, that’s why I’m never in good shape, because it’s Five Guys and espresso martinis in celebration. Yeah, I guess that’s it. Maybe a couple drinks just to cheer ourselves.”
Going on to cite her upcoming Miami Open campaign as the reason for her brief Indian Wells title celebrations, Aryna Sabalenka added:
“And that’s it, because the schedule is really tight and we’re on to the next one, and I cannot relax too much, because I’m defending champion there, and also, it’s Miami. I love being there, playing there, so I want to do well there, as well. So I will try to stay loose but focused. I guess it’s, again, going into the balancing everything, so I will try to balance it the best way possible.”
“I had cramps after the match” – Aryna Sabalenka shares painful post-match experience following maiden Indian Wells title triumph
In the same press conference, Aryna Sabalenka touched on the physical struggles she experienced following her win over Elena Rybakina in the women’s singles final of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Citing the heat in the city nestled in California’s picturesque Coachella Valley, the four-time Major champion said:
“This trophy is so heavy. To be honest, I was so done. I had cramps after the match. It was so hot. The hot was like it was boiling hot out there, I feel like just coming from the court, you know. I was, like, come on, I need the good picture. I’ve got to lift it up. Yeah, I took all of the power left and I did it.”
Sabalenka heads to the 2026 Miami Open as the defending champion. The Belarusian defeated Jessica Pegula in last year’s final at the combined WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 event.
Edited by Sudipto Pati
