Indian Wells, California: In a major upset at the Indian Wells Open final, 17-year-old Russian tennis sensation Mira Andreeva defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set match, clinching her second WTA 1000 title. Andreeva overcame a first-set deficit to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, showcasing grit and determination on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Youngest Champion Since Serena Williams
With this victory, Andreeva became the youngest Indian Wells champion since Serena Williams in 1999. She also became the third-youngest winner in the tournament’s history, following Martina Hingis and Serena. This win marks her 12th consecutive match victory, a streak that began with her first WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last month.
According to the WTA, Andreeva is now the youngest player to win 12 straight matches at the WTA 1000 level since the format’s inception in 2009.
“I Tried to Run Like a Rabbit”
In her on-court victory speech, a jubilant Andreeva said,
“I want to thank myself again for fighting until the end, for believing in myself, and for never giving up. I tried to run like a rabbit today. It was really tough to hang in there, but I gave it my all, so I want to thank myself because I think I played a part in this too.”
Historic Feat Against Top-ranked Players
Andreeva is now the youngest player to beat a World No. 1 in a WTA final since Maria Sharapova defeated Lindsay Davenport in Tokyo, 2005. Additionally, she became only the third player aged 17 or younger in the past 40 years to defeat both the World No. 1 and World No. 2 at the same tournament.
In the semifinal, Andreeva ended World No. 2 Iga Swiatek’s title defense, beating her for the second time in two tournaments. With this latest triumph, Andreeva now holds three career titles, two of them at the WTA 1000 level, and is set to reach a career-high ranking of World No. 6 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
She also tops the list for most wins this season with 19 victories, solidifying her place as one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars.
