INDIAN WELLS, California – Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva fought back to overcome world number one Aryna Sabalenka 2-6 6-4 6-3 in the Indian Wells final, winning a second WTA 1000-level event in a row to keep her charmed year on track.
The 17-year-old Andreeva, the youngest women’s finalist at the tournament in 24 years, had found her form midway through the match and crumpled to the ground in celebration after closing it out with a forehand winner.
“I would again like to thank myself for fighting until the end and for always believing in me and for never quitting,” Andreeva said according to Reuters.
“I tried to run like a rabbit. It was really hard to just keep up, so I just tried my best and that’s why I would thank myself, because I think I played a little part also.”
Top seed Sabalenka got herself out of a slump to bring some of her best tennis to the California desert this year but her form unravelled in the final and she was left to rue missed opportunities.
Andreeva had lost to Sabalenka twice this year and it looked as though the pattern would repeat itself as the hard-hitting Belarusian sent a backhand winner down the line on break point in the fourth game.
A visibly frustrated Andreeva sent a shot into the net on break point in the eighth but regained her poise in the second set, where she broke Sabalenka with a forehand winner in the third game and fended off two break points in the sixth.
After trading breaks to open the third set, Sabalenka’s errors began to pile up and she fired into the net on break point in the third game to give the ninth-seeded Russian the advantage.
Indian Wells is Andreeva’s third career title and second of the season. Two of her three titles have now come at the WTA 1000 level. She leaves Indian Wells as the outright tour leader in wins this season with 19.
Andreeva is the third-youngest Indian Wells champion, after Martina Hingis in 1998 and Serena Williams in 1999, wtatennis.com reported.
To win the title, Andreeva came through a remarkably difficult draw. In addition to her back-to-back wins over No. 1 and No. 2, she defeated Varvara Gracheva, 22nd seed Clara Tauson in a rematch of the Dubai final, 7th seed Elena Rybakina, and 23rd seed Elina Svitolina.
Andreeva came into her first Indian Wells final looking for her first win on hard court over Sabalenka. The World No. 1 won all four of their previous hard-court duels, including two in January at the Brisbane International and Australian Open.
A finalist in 2023, Sabalenka needed just 36 minutes to pocket the opening set. Andreeva earned the first chance to take control of the set, earning a break point in the third game of the match, but Sabalenka saved it with a deft move to the net to clean up a tricky volley.
Having dodged Andreeva’s early surge, Sabalenka raced away. She broke Andreeva immediately in the next game and lost just one more game in the set to seal it.
Andreeva finally broke through in the second set. After going 0 for 18 on break points against Sabalenka this season, she ended that drought with an outstanding return game, sealed with a clean forehand winner to lead 2-1.
Under pressure to maintain her lead, Andreeva saved two break points — from a 0-30 deficit to move ahead 4-2.
She sealed the set with a perfect service game, firing back-to-back aces to take her first set off Sabalenka on a hard court.
Andreeva’s surge continued in the third set, she took her tally to eight consecutive points to break Sabalenka at love to lead 1-0.
After Sabalenka looked prime to mount a comeback by breaking back to 1-1, Andreeva sealed another break and consolidated to lead 3-1. She protected her lead through the tape to earn her first career win over a reigning World No. 1.
