Andreeva wins Indian Wells in coming-of-age performance against Sabalenka
The Russian came back from a set down to defeat the world No 1 and win her second WTA 1000
Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, holds the winner’s trophy at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament 2025 (© AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill./SIPA)
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva beat Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the Indian Wells Open in California on Sunday, winning her second-consecutive WTA 1000 trophy with a statement victory over the world No 1.
Andreeva’s victory in the Indian Wells final was a coming-of-age moment, not just because it makes her the second-youngest woman in history to beat the top two players at the same event and extends her winning streak to 12 matches in a row, but because of the nature of her win.
The 17-year-old had failed to win more than five games against Sabalenka in four of their five meetings on the WTA Tour, including in their two earlier clashes this year. After dropping a one-sided opening set, Andreeva again looked lost on court.
That is, until the teen dug deep, turned her game around, and stormed to victory on one of the biggest stages in the world, against the best player on Tour.
“Last but not least, I would again, like to thank myself,” Andreeva declared after the two-hour, four-minute match. “I would like to thank myself for fighting until the end, for always believing in me, for never quitting.
“I tried to run like a rabbit today. I was running like a rabbit because Aryna was sending down bullets. It was really hard to keep up, I just tried my best. That’s why I would like to thank myself, because I played a little part too.”
The 17-year-old improves to No 6 in the world of the back of her title in Indian Wells, up from her previous career-high of No 9.
First set deja vu
The opening set between Andreeva and Sabalenka could not have been more of a carbon copy of their last two meetings.
It began competitively, with two tight service holds for each woman before Andreeva generated two break points on Sabalenka’s serve in the third game. The world No 11 was unable to capitalise on either, however, spraying errors in the face of Sabalenka’s aggression and solid serving.
She would have four break opportunities in the game, each of which Sabalenka fought off. The final chance she will rue – a juicy second serve return which she sprayed wide up the line.
This would be the defining trait of the first set – Andreeva creating chances, then committing errors in crucial moments, while Sabalenka would serve well and go for her shots under pressure.
The result was a 4-1 lead for the Belarusian, after Andreeva was a point away from going up by a break in the third game. She managed to snap Sabalenka’s momentum briefly mid-set, but again could not convert break points and conceded another herself, dropping the set 6-2.
Andreeva comes of age
Having just lost her fifth set in a row to Sabalenka, Andreeva looked at sea, smashing her racquet on the ground in frustration and firing balls up into the stands. She took herself off court between sets, but the writing seemed very much on the wall.
But the story wasn’t over, as Andreeva did what she had vowed to do earlier in the week and fight tooth-and-nail for every point.
Break points came for the Russian in the opening game of the second set, but again she was unable to convert them, leading to a damning stat: in 2025, Andreeva was 0-18 on break points against Sabalenka.
In the third game, she gained her 19th break point and snapped the trend, however, breaking for a 2-1 lead.
Suddenly, it was Sabalenka looking lost, as Andreeva combined her brilliant defence with more accuracy on the groundstrokes and clever use of the dropshot. She would go on to hit 17 winners in the second set, compared to just six in the first.
Momentum was all in favour of Andreeva as she rode her early break to level the match, serving out the second set to love.
The third set was more of the same, with the teen grabbing a break in the first game. She faced her challenges when Sabalenka broke straight back, but again, she was able to compose herself with impressive maturity.
Breaks in the third and final games were enough to power Andreeva over the line and she continued her flawless tennis to knockout the top seed and claim her second WTA 1000 title.
Coming into the championship match, the 17-year-old had lost twice to Sabalenka in the first two months of 2025. Neither contest was particularly competitive, with Andreeva failing to win more than five games in either.
