Rybakina vs. Sabalenka: Everything to know about the Indian Wells final

The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells will wrap up over the next two days with the singles and doubles championship matches on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.

In singles, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina navigated the 96-player draw to set up a rematch of the 2023 Indian Wells and 2026 Australian Open finals -- both won by Rybakina. Sabalenka will compete in her third BNP Paribas Open final but is seeking her first title at the event and the 23rd of her career. Rybakina is bidding for her 13th.

In doubles, Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend will meet Doha champions Aleksandra Krunic and Anna Danilina, with both teams chasing their first Indian Wells title together.

From order of play to prize money and a championship preview, here is everything you need to know about Saturday and Sunday's finals:

When are the BNP Paribas Open singles and doubles finals?

Unlike the first two WTA 1000s of the season in Doha and Dubai, the singles and doubles finals will be played on different days. The doubles final will be held Saturday March 14 at 11 a.m. local (2 p.m. EST, 6 p.m. GMT). 

The singles final is scheduled to be held 24 hours later at the exact same time on Sunday, March 15. Both finals will be played on Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

How did each singles player and doubles team reach the championship?

Singles

Sabalenka
First round: Bye
Second round: def. Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 6-2
Third round: def. Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 6-1
Fourth round: def. Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4
Quarterfinals: def. Victoria Mboko 7-6 (0), 6-4
Semifinals: def. Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4

Sabalenka has not dropped a set all tournament at Indian Wells. The World No. 1 is on the verge of her 23rd WTA singles title, and a win on Sunday would mark her 20th on hard court. 

Rybakina
First round: Bye
Second round: def. Hailey Baptiste 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-2
Third round: def. Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-4
Fourth round: def. Sonay Kartal 6-3, 4-3 ret.
Quarterfinals: def. Jessica Pegula 6-1, 7-6 (4)
Semifinals: def. Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4

Rybakina seeks her third title in her past six events after collecting trophies at the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh and the 2026 Australian Open, both against Sabalenka. The Kazakh is 16-0 when taking the first set in 2026, with just two matches progressing to a third set.

Doubles

Siniakova-Townsend
First round: def. Elena-Gabriel Ruse-Emma Raducanu 6-2, 7-5
Second round: def. Sofia Kenin-Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-1, 6-2
Quarterfinals: def. Demi Schuurs-Ellen Perez 6-4, 6-4
Semifinals: def. Jasmine Paolini-Sara Errani 6-2, 6-2

Krunic-Danilina
First round: def. Sloane Stephens-Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-3
Second round: def. Lyudmyla Kichenok-Desirae Krawczyk 6-4-, 6-1
Quarterfinals: def. Victoria Mboko-Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (5), 6-2
Semifinals: def. Cristina Bucsa-Nicole Melichar-Martinez 6-3, 6-4

What are the ranking points and prize money at stake?

At Indian Wells, more than $9.4 million is being distributed at the BNP Paribas Open. Sunday's singles champion brings home $1,151,380, while the finalist receives $612,340. Saturday's winning doubles team will earn $468,200 with the runner-up enjoying $247,870. 

As with all WTA 1000 events, the singles and doubles champions at Indian Wells will receive 1,000 ranking points in the PIF WTA Rankings and Race to the WTA Finals Riyadh. The finalists in each draw add 650 points. In the PIF WTA Rankings, any change in rank is based on how many points the player earned this time last year and had to defend entering the tournament.

Regardless of the final's result, Sabalenka will remain World No. 1 while Rybakina is guaranteed to surpass Iga Swiatek as the No. 2 ranked player in the world.

Rybakina vs. Sabalenka championship preview

For the 16th time in their careers and the sixth time in a final, Rybakina and Sabalenka will go toe-to-toe in another chapter of their spectacular rivalry. Sabalenka still holds the advantage 8-7 in the head-to-head, but Rybakina has had the upper-hand as of late, with wins at the 2025 WTA Finals championship and 2026 Australian Open. 

With Rybakina moving to No. 2 in the world on Monday, it's certainly reflects that these two players are arguably the best on tour at the moment. For Sabalenka, she's reached the final in all three events she's played in this year, including defending her Brisbane International title, and she'll play in her 43rd tour-level final Sunday. 

"I feel like against Elena, it's always super-aggressive, it's all about the first few balls in every point," Sabalenka said to press after her win over Linda Noskova in the semifinals. "If you dominate in those two points, I feel like most likely you're gonna win the point. It's very aggressive, very fast tennis."

In their previous five meetings in a final, Rybakina holds a 4-1 advantage, with her lone defeat coming in the 2023 Australian Open final.

Statically, both players are similar in various categories. Entering Indian Wells, both players win around 65% of their service points and more than 82% of their service games. They also saved break points at a nearly 70% clip. Sabalenka has the slight edge in all categories, but Rybakina has played two more tournaments than her opponent.

"We know each other's game very well," Rybakina said. "It's a lot about physical because here, the ball is heavy, the rallies a little bit longer than on the other hard courts, which are a little bit quicker.

"It's gonna be difficult match where we both gonna try to serve well, that's for sure, put pressure, and, we will see what's gonna happen."