Sabalenka tops Noskova to reach the Indian Wells finals for the 3rd third time in 4 years

By Canadian Press on March 13, 2026.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka, a two-time runner-up at Indian Wells, will get another shot at winning the event after beating Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals Friday.

The top-ranked Sabalenka, from Belarus, dispatched Noskova in 1 hour, 28 minutes on Stadium Court 1 at the BNP Paribas Open.

Sabalenka connected on 38 of 58 first serves against the 14th-seeded Noskova and notched 11 aces to reach the finale for the third time in four years. She will face either Elena Rybakina or Elina Svitolina in the championship Sunday.

Sabalenka lost to Rybakina in the Australian Open final, her only setback in 2026. Sabalenka improved to 12-1 with the victory Friday after reaching the semifinals for the sixth consecutive WTA Tour event. Her last loss before that round came against Rybakina in the Cincinnati quarterfinals last August.

Noskova kept it somewhat close by saving 7 of 10 break points while serving. The Czech fell to 0-2 against Sabalenka.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

The Associated Press