BNP Paribas Open: Aryna Sabalenka storms into Indian Wells semifinal as almost perfect 2023 continues

It's been so hard to beat Aryna Sabalenka in 2023 that only one person has figured out how to do it.

Sabalenka, the second seed, steamrolled sixth-seeded Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-0 on Wednesday at the BNP Paribas Open to secure a spot in the semifinal. The win makes her 16-1 on the year.

She started the year by winning in Adelaide and then rolled to an Australian Open title. Her only blip came in a three-set loss to Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinals in Dubai. She then came to the desert and is 4-0 so far and has now made her first-ever semifinal in Indian Wells.

Sabalenka said getting that first Grand Slam title hasn't changed her tennis, but it has changed the ease with which she plays.

"It's just great to have this understanding that at least you won one Grand Slam, and then you reach your goal. Of course, this wasn't the only one goal for me," she said. "But that's why I keep working and keep fighting, knowing that it's not going to give me any advantage on the next Grand Slam or here.

"I still have to bring my best tennis, and I still have to work hard for it. It's just good to know that you have won already, you know (smiling). Because before, I didn't have a slam, and every time I felt so much pressure from myself, because I really wanted to get it. Right now, it's given me more belief and understanding what I have to do on those important matches."

Sabalenka has been in fine form at Indian Wells, but took it to another level on Wednesday, unfortunately for Gauff. She broke Gauff to start the match and that was enough separation for a 6-4 first-set win. She then broke Gauff to start the second set, and she kept her foot on the gas for a 6-0 win.

Gauff looked to her team at one point with a "What can I do?" expression as Sabalenka hit winner after winner.

Gauff was the last remaining American woman in the field, which means the American women's singles drought at this tournament will reach 23 years. Serena Williams won in 2001. But Gauff had her deepest run in Indian Wells and isn't going home with her head hanging low.

"Yeah, overall it was a good tournament for me. I had some good wins. Obviously, today didn't go how I wanted to, but she played really great tennis, and you can definitely see the improvement since the last time I played her," Gauff said. "I just have to figure out a way how to combat that for the next time I play her."

Gauff said specifically it was Sabalenka's serve that showed the biggest improvement. The Belarusian star had zero double faults and won 87% of the points when she made her first serve.

In four previous meetings, Gauff held a 3-1 record in the series, but Sabalenka didn't dwell on that.

"Yeah, I mean, I didn't really think about our previous matches. I feel a little bit different on the court this year. I feel like I'm a little bit different player," Sabalenka said. "I wasn't really focusing on the last matches against her. I was focused on myself. I knew if I'm gonna bring my tennis on court today, that I'll have all the chances to win this match. So super happy that I was able to show my best tennis today."

Sabalenka has tasted victory in this event before. She teamed with Elise Mertens to win the women's doubles title in Indian Wells in 2019. If she were to pull off a singles title here, she would be just the fifth woman to win a singles and doubles title in the desert.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: Aryna Sabalenka beats Coco Gauff to reach Indian Wells semifinal