“What are you trying to say,” Aryna Sabalenka gives damning reply to reporter on getting an easier draw at Indian Wells

Aryna Sabalenka defeated lucky loser Sonay Kartal in the fourth round of the 2025 Indian Wells.

“What are you trying to say,” Aryna Sabalenka gives damning reply to reporter on getting an easier draw at Indian Wells

Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X)

Albeit being known for her dominance on hard court, Aryna Sabalenka is yet to secure a title in either of the Sunshine Doubles. Her best run in the prestigious North American swing was in 2023, when she was a finalist in Indian Wells.

Sabalenka commenced her 2025 Indian Wells campaign this year with a victory over McCartney Kessler in the opening round. She then defeated Lucia Bronzetti in the next round.

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I’m not the only one who had singles matches. What are you trying to say (smiles)? You know, this is tennis. Especially women’s tennis. Anything can happen. The score looks easy, but the matches weren’t. I think I had enough time on the court, and I think I’m ready for this quarterfinal.

Aryna Sabalenka responded to the reporter

In the Round of 16, Aryna Sabalenka faced lucky loser Sonay Kartal. For a brief moment, it seemed as if Kartal could cause another upset as she broke the World No. 1 in the first game. The early setback led to Sabalenka being slapped with a code violation as she was reprimanded for an audible obscenity.

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Sabalenka quickly regrouped to get back on serve. But there was another unusual incident when the Belarusian had to help fix the net before asking for VAR. Sabalenka refused to let up in the second set, forcing the Brit to sprint around the court in a vain attempt to withstand the barrage.

Aryna Sabalenka will face Liudmila Samsonova in the 2025 Indian Wells quarterfinals

Aryna Sabalenka has now advanced to the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells tournament. She will meet Liudmila Samsonova in this round. Their head-to-head is currently tied at 2-2. Samsonova has had an interesting run at the Californian desert so far defeating higher ranked players like Jasmine Paolini on her way to the quarterfinals.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (via X)

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek took her revenge by overcoming Qinwen Zheng in straight sets at the Indian Wells quarterfinals. They both last met at the Paris Olympics semifinals, where Zheng defeated Swiatek and went on to win the Olympic gold, while Swiatek won the bronze medal. Swiatek is aiming for a third Indian Wells title, a feat that no woman has accomplished as of yet.

Mirra Andreeva will face Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, and Madison Keys will face Belinda Bencic. This tournament also marks the return of Keys to tour after she won the Australian Open earlier this year.

Aryna Sabalenka’s 2025 season

Aryna Sabalenka had a strong start to her 2025 season, clinching the Brisbane International title. Going into the Australian Open as the two-time defending champion, she seemed the favorite to clinch the title this year as well.

However, Sabalenka was denied a historic three-peat at Melbourne by Madison Keys, who clinched her maiden Grand Slam title with this triumph. After this heartbreak, the next few weeks in the Middle East swing were a bit difficult for Sabalenka.

Sabalenka faced an opening round defeat to Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Qatar Open. She then competed in the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she lost her second-round match to Clara Tauson. Now at Indian Wells, Sabalenka seems to have gained some momentum and is in better form.