andreeva-stuns-sabalenka-to-win-indian-wells-title

Mirra Andreeva claimed her second consecutive WTA 1000 title after staging a remarkable comeback to defeat World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the Indian Wells Open final.

 

The 17-year-old Russian became the youngest champion at Indian Wells since Serena Williams in 1999 and the third youngest in the tournament’s history, following Martina Hingis in 1998 and Serena.

 

Andreeva’s victory extended her winning streak to 12 matches, having also secured her first WTA 1000 title last month at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

 

Andreeva’s achievement is historic, as she is the youngest player to secure 12 consecutive WTA 1000 wins since the format was introduced in 2009. Overcoming a tough start, she fought back from a set down against Sabalenka to claim the biggest title of her career so far.

 

In her on-court speech, Andreeva expressed gratitude for her resilience and determination. “I would again like to thank myself for fighting until the end, for always believing in me and for never quitting,” she said. “I tried to run like a rabbit today. 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.”

 

With this victory, Andreeva became the youngest player to defeat the World No. 1 in a WTA final since Maria Sharapova overcame Lindsay Davenport in Tokyo in 2005. She is also only the third player aged 17 or younger in the past 40 years to beat both the World No. 1 and No. 2 in the same tournament.

 

The young star had already made waves in the semi-finals, where she ended the title defence of two-time champion and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek. This was Andreeva’s second victory over Swiatek in as many tournaments, further cementing her place as one of the most promising rising stars in women’s tennis.

 

Indian Wells marks Andreeva’s third career title and her second of the season. Two of her three titles have now come at the prestigious WTA 1000 level. Her latest triumph is set to propel her to a career-high ranking of No. 6 in the WTA Rankings on Monday.

 

As the outright tour leader in match wins this season with 19 victories, Andreeva’s stunning performances on the court continue to captivate the tennis world. Her remarkable rise suggests that she is well on her way to becoming a dominant force in women’s tennis for years to come.