Aryna Sabalenka shook off a one-hours rain delay as she defeated Jessica Pegula for the third time in a row, winning the Miami Masters on Saturday 7-5, 6-2.

The world No. 1 kept a firm grip on the top ranking spot after dismissing her American opponent after finals wins over Pegula in Cincinnati and New York last season.

Victory in just under 90 minutes was the second title of the season for Sabalenka, who lost 2025 finals at the Australian Open and earlier this month at Indian Wells to teenaged Mirra Andreeva.

The final began an hour late due to rain in South Florida.

Sabalenka broke on six of her 14 chances while dropping her own serve four times.

Sabalenka finally lifted the trophy here on her seventh appearance after reaching quarter-finals in 2021 and 2023.

The winner claimed her eighth title at the 1000 level while improving her record over Pegula to 7-2.

Sabalenka owns 19 career trophies including back-to-back Australian Opens and the US Open last September.

The ATP is facing a class-action lawsuit spearheaded by 12 players as Novak Djokovic’s union goes to war with the sanctioning body.

The Professional Tennis Players Association will drag tine ATP into the American legal process over what the PTPA labels as a “cartel”

Also included in the action are the women’s WTA, the Grand Slam umbrella body the International Tennis Federation and the sport’s antidoping bosses at the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

The 163-page complaint filed in New York is also being mooted in the EU and the UK, home of Wimbledon.

Complaints by players include issues such as prize money, the rankings system and schedule, the ITIA investigative practices and also complain about (mainly lower-ranking) players being deprived of ancillary and marketing income which they deserve.

With major stars of the game earning tens of millions per season – including sponsorship monies – the little people represented by the PTPA have been feeling left out for years.

The PTPA got its start in 2022 spearheaded by Canadian Vasek Popspil and former world No. 1 Djokovic.

The current lawsuit includes controversial Aussie Nick Kyrgios as a plaintiff, with the legal action seeking an American jury trial.

“Tennis is broken,” PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar said. “Behind the glamorous veneer that the Defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety.

“We have exhausted all options for reform through dialogue, and the governing bodies have left us no choice but to seek accountability through the courts. Fixing these systemic failures isn’t about disrupting tennis – it’s about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come.”

The ATP has rejected the claims and said they are ready for a legal battle, saying the action “to be entirely without merit.” 

“Throughout more than three decades, ATP’s 50-50 governance structure has ensured that players and tournaments have an equal voice in shaping the sport’s direction at the highest level.”

The sanctioning body points to a USD 70 million prize money and player payout revenue over the last five years, with the ATP suggesting it is taking care of minor players with its reforms.

The WTA also jumped in with a statement on the “misguided” lawsuit while antidoping also protested their innocence.

Pospisil said the battle for better pay has only begun, with accusations that the ATP and its partner tournament conspire to cap prize money to keep a larger share for themselves..

The PTPA also complained about playing conditions including extreme heat and 3 a.m. match finishes in front of near-empty stands – most notably at the US and Australian Opens, the major offenders.

The suit says tennis players receive only 17 percent of tournament revenues whereas in other sports – read gold – the split is closer to 35-50 percent.

“This is about fairness, safety, and basic human dignity,” Pospisil said in a statement. 

“I’m one of the more fortunate players and I’ve still had to sleep in my car when travelling to matches early on in my career – imagine an NFL player being told that he had to sleep in his car at an away game.”

He added, “It’s absurd and would never happen, obviously. No other major sport treats its athletes this way. The governing bodies force us into unfair contracts, impose inhumane schedules, and punish us for speaking out.”

Main photo:- Executive Director Ahmad Nassar and Head of PTPA Global Services Tarik Koubaa – ©PTPA

The reigning US Open mixed doubles champions are kicked off the pushback over a plan by the Grand Slam to gut their event and reduce it to just two days for the upcoming summer edition.

Italian holders Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani slammed the move by organisers, saying the plan to halve the field to a bare-minimum 16 teams and stage the competition over a couple of days prior to the actual start of the Open during qualifying rounds is a giant slap in the face to players.

The controversial plan has been labelled a “money grab” and has so far faced universal condemnation in the tennis world, with players and coaches not even consulted.

Vavassori and Erani let loose in a statement:

“In our opinion making decisions just following the logic of profit is profoundly wrong in some situations.

“Last year, to win the US Open together was one of the greatest moments in our careers. We felt unbelievable warmth and support from the Italian fans and that made us really happy.

“Mixed doubles is not very well known, that’s true, but everything that’s part of a Slam competition – the history behind every single result – is unique and it’s a great honour to become part of it.

But the Italian pair are not the only players complaining. 

France’s three-time mixed Grand Slam winner Kristina Mladenovic called the 

move “terribly shocking news.”

.“Doing that just to sell more money during the first week of the event. Making it look like an exhibition for whoever wants to play!,“ she posted on social media.

“Coming back the following year and seeing your names engraved in the trophy board is one of the most special feelings in our sport. You realise that you will forever be remembered as a small part of this important tournament.”

In addition to trivialising the event, some rules will also be changed by New York bosses.

Instead of a decisive third set, matches will be determined by a first-to-10-point tiebreak; prize money, though, has been increased from USD 200,000 to 1 million by way of some compensation 

Main photo:- Kristina Mladenovic unhappy at USTA’s Mixed Doubles plans.