Simply incredible! Mirra Andreeva stuns Iga Swiatek to reach Indian Wells final

Simply incredible! Mirra Andreeva delivered a stunning performance to overcome Iga Swiatek 7-6[7-1], 2-6, 6-3 and reach the Indian Wells final. The teenager extends her winning streak to 11 matches and will aim for her second WTA 1000 title this Saturday against the winner of Madison Keys vs Aryna Sabalenka.

This marks the second consecutive WTA 1000 event where Andreeva has halted Swiatek’s title defence—having also eliminated her at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships just weeks ago. The 17-year-old showed superior mental strength in key moments and continues to impress in 2025.

First Set

The Pole came out very aggressive, as usual, unafraid to match Andreeva’s power and push her back on the court. Andreeva was serving at 2-3, 0-30, but she had no problem taking risks with shots to the lines to recover and keep things level.

Andreeva’s slice has become an effective weapon, one that not many players use — a shot her coach, former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, often incorporated herself. This time, it helped Andreeva partially neutralise Swiatek, who easily takes the initiative.

Read also

Mirra Andreeva shows respect to Elina Svitolina amid ‘handshake ban’ after thumping win at Indian Wells

The first to break was Andreeva, who went up 5-4 and had the chance to close out the set on her serve, but Swiatek responded immediately, breaking back. The momentum seemed to shake Andreeva's confidence, and she had no answer to a powerful service game from Swiatek. The Russian started with a double fault, showing moments of doubt, but she managed to withstand the pressure of a 0-30 and pushed the set to a tiebreak.

It was a very tight set, with no breaks for most of it and minimal differences, especially on Andreeva’s backhand side. A mini-break at the start of the tiebreak put the teenager up 3-0, giving her the confidence to play more freely and take the first set 7-6[7-1].

Andreeva snapped Swiatek's streak of 20 consecutive set wins at Idnian Wells, the last time she lost one was in a 2023 semifinal loss to Maria Sakkari.

Read also

“Crazy matches ahead”: Aryna Sabalenka relishes Indian Wells showdown

Second Set

Swiatek quickly secured a break at the start and confidently held her serve, setting the tone for the second set. The Pole cruised through her service games with ease and began to dominate, while Andreeva grew erratic, largely due to the pressure Swiatek applied both on serve and return.

With the score at 3-1 in favour of the five-time Grand Slam champion, Swiatek earned another break, putting her on the brink of forcing a decider. Although Andreeva showed determination to keep fighting, the gap was clear this time, as Swiatek managed to shorten many points. The World No. 2 chose to target Andreeva’s body more often, which caused her more trouble than when she was forced into uncomfortable positions out wide.

Read also

Daily Dose of Social Media: Unbelievable winds knock umpire as Zheng Qinwen shares love for Taylor Swift

One of Andreeva’s usual weapons — her down-the-line shots, especially on the backhand — didn’t click in this set. The Russian didn’t get a single break point, while Swiatek converted three of her four opportunities, closing the set 6-1.

Third Set

In the first game, Andreeva showed frustration, throwing her racket to the floor to release some tension. It seemed to work, as she regained her confidence and, with help from a double fault by Swiatek and an unforced error, managed to break Swiatek’s serve. Things only got worse for the five-time Grand Slam champion when she conceded a second consecutive break, allowing Andreeva to take a 4-1 lead.

Read also

Is Mirra Andreeva keeping an eye on the rankings? – “This makes things a bit easier for me”

A remarkable game on return helped Swiatek recover her first break, bringing the score to 2-4. Swiatek wasn’t going down without a fight, but Andreeva’s consistency paid off. She held onto her service while Swiatek became increasingly erratic under the pressure.

Andreeva sealed the match confidently with her serve, claiming victory 7-6[7-1], 1-6, 6-3. The Russian ended a 10-match winning streak in Indian Wells and once again dashed Swiatek’s hopes of defending her WTA 1000 title. Andreeva will now wait to see who her opponent will be between Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe