MIAMI — Aryna Sabalenka has been No. 1 in the PIF WTA Rankings for more than five months running and just overtook Madison Keys in the Race to the WTA Finals in Riyadh. She’s played six tournaments this year and Saturday’s (3 p.m. ET) Miami Open championship match will be her fourth final.

Can anyone stop this roaring, thundering avalanche threatening to overwhelm the rest of women’s tennis?

Jessica Pegula, you’re up next. Thanks for accepting this assignment — good luck.

“Aryna, another hard-court final for us,” Pegula said in her on-court interview after defeating 19-year-old wild card Alexander Eala 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3 early Friday morning. “I consider myself one of the world’s best hard-court players, but she’s probably the best.”

On this semi-fast court at Hard Rock Stadium, Sabalenka has been hitting winners almost at will, even when she’s on her back foot. After Thursday’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini, Sabalenka acknowledged that she is In. The. Zone.

Sabalenka is only the third player to reach the women’s final at Indian Wells, Miami and Australian Open in the same season as the World No.1 — following Steffi Graf (1994) and Martina Hingis (2000).

Sabalenka vs. Pegula: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET

Pegula and Sabalenka have played eight times before, with Sabalenka winning six. How will it play out on Saturday? We make the case for both players:

Advantage, Sabalenka

Break points are aptly named. You can take it a step further and say they’re actually make-or-break points. Against Paolini, Sabalenka was nearly perfect, saving all four break points against her and converting four of five when Paolini served.

Here is why she will be so tough to beat: Serving at 4-2 in the second set, down 15-40 to Paolini, Sabalenka hit three terrific serves followed immediately by winners into the open court. That’s how aggressive, how confidently she’s playing.

Sabalenka has dropped only 23 games in 10 sets. By comparison, Pegula has lost 44 games.

Mental toughness, once Sabalenka’s weakness, might be the greatest weapon currently on the Hologic WTA Tour.

Pegula won their first meeting five years ago in Cincinnati. Sabalenka has taken six of the past seven — all in straight sets.

“I think she’s a harder out right now than she was at the Open,” Tennis Channel analyst Martina Navratilova said.

Another factor to consider is Sabalenka’s current mindset. While she’s won 22 of 26 matches this year — no one has more victories — two of those defeats were particularly loathsome.

Sabalenka lost the two biggest finals of the year — the Australian Open to Madison Keys and Indian Wells to Mirra Andreeva.

“We never lose,” Sabalenka told reporters, “we only learn lesson. Sometimes players just go out there and they have nothing to lose and they just go crazy on the shots. Sometimes you’re, like, `What’s going on?’

“I think in those finals I was more focusing on my opponents than on myself.”

Singer Bon Jovi, sitting in a front-row recliner, was on hand for Sabalenka’s semifinal win. Her quest here is something far greater than merely `Livin’ On A Prayer.’

“I really feel this time,” Sabalenka said, “I’m going to do better than I did in the last two finals.”

Advantage, Pegula

Is there some karma at work here? 

Pegula, 31, is the third 30-plus player to reach the women’s final at the Miami Open in as many years. Petra Kvitova (2023) and Danielle Collins (2024) both went on to win the title.

She has to feel like she’s due. 

For this is Pegula’s third semifinal at the Miami Open, after losses at this point to Iga Swiatek (2022) and Elena Rybakina (2023). Even at this later stage of her career, Pegula has found ways to create breakthroughs. She had lost six major quarterfinals before crashing through to reach the final at last year’s US Open.

These 1000 events get Pegula’s competitive spirits flowing. This will be her sixth final. Of Pegula’s seven titles, three have come at this elite level: Guadalajara (2022), Montreal (20213) and Toronto (2024). Miami would give her one for the fourth year in a row.

What brings out her best at these tournaments?

“I really don’t know what it is,” Pegula said, “but I’m glad that it happens at the 1000s — that’s always good. Big tournaments … I can win these big matches in clutch, pressure moment and come out on top. I’ll try to bring my best. 

“One of the people that does it better than I do is maybe Aryna on Saturday, so I’m going to have a big battle.”

Pegula’s post-match message, with the clock approaching 1 a.m., on the on-court lens was “I’m tired.” The good news? She’s in terrific shape and will have more than 36 hours to recover. 

Remarkably, this is Pegula’s third WTA 1000 final since turning 30. Since 2009, only Serena Williams (16) and Li Na (four) reached more after their 30th birthday. Pegula’s best work has been at an age when many players are eyeing retirement. She’s determined to make the most of these moments.

She could become the oldest player to defeat the No. 1 in a WTA event final since Martina Navratilova, who in 1993 prevailed over Monica Seles in Paris.

“I think I can bring some different things maybe Saturday,” Pegula said. “I’m just going to go out there and play my game. I know that I’ve had chances against her in the past and I’ll do my best to execute on those as much as possible.”