The only one really capable of bothering the number 1?

The match-up between these two big hitters promises fireworks, especially on serve. Qinwen Zheng is confirming her status as the queen of the discipline in 2026: she leads the Race for aces with an efficiency of 0.57 aces per game, a monstrous stat that allows her to win 78.3 percent of her service games. Her overall match efficiency of 3.072 shows that she’s back to a top-5-in-the-world level. Across the net, Sabalenka has similar firepower but is playing more complete tennis this season, boasting total invincibility against players outside the top 5 in 2026 (18–0).

Historically, the Belarusian leads their head-to-head by a wide margin with 7 wins to just 1 loss. However, their last duel in Rome last year saw the Chinese player come out on top, shattering that psychological glass ceiling. Sabalenka swept through her early rounds in Miami without a wobble, especially against McNally, but she knows Zheng’s serve is one of the few that can really trouble her on this quick surface. Handling pressure points will be key: since her comeback, Zheng is converting 61.3 percent of the big points, a number that proves her elbow no longer makes her doubt.