‘Facing me is difficult,’ Aryna Sabalenka sends warning to Mirra Andreeva ahead of their blockbuster Indian Wells final

Aryna Sabalenka made her way to the final of the Indian Wells after demolishing Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the semifinals.

‘Facing me is difficult,’ Aryna Sabalenka sends warning to Mirra Andreeva ahead of their blockbuster Indian Wells final

Mirra Andreeva, Aryna Sabalenka (via X)

After a devastating loss at the Australian Open finals, and a disappointing Middle East swing, Aryna Sabalenka has staged a strong comeback, making her way to the 2025 Indian Wells finals. The Belarusian who is known for her prowess on hardcourt is yet to win a title in the Sunshine Doubles. This is her second time reaching the finals of the prestigious North American swing, with her first time being in 2023, when she lost to Elena Rybakina in the finals.

Sabalenka will face 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the Indian Wells finals, and she leads their head-to-head 4-1. The Russian’s sole victory amongst these 5 encounters was in the clay courts of Roland Garros during the 2024 quarterfinals.

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When crucial moments arrive, facing me is difficult, especially if I feel the desire to seek revenge. I wish I had that mentality in every match of the year; I am working hard to be more consistent in that aspect.

Aryna Sabalenka told the Indian Wells press

Aryna Sabalenka had a good start to her 2025 season, clinching the Brisbane International title. Having triumphed the previous two years at the Australian Open, the World No. 1 seemed most likely to defend the title this year as well.

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However, Sabalenka was denied a hat trick at Melbourne by Madison Keys, who won her maiden Grand Slam title with this triumph. After this defeat, the next few weeks in the Middle East swing were a bit challenging for Sabalenka.

She 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.

Mirra Andreeva defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek in the Indian Wells semifinal

Mirra Andreeva has had a very strong 2025 season so far. Prior to Indian Wells, she triumphed at the Dubai Tennis Championships, becoming the youngest WTA 1000 champion.

Mirra Andreeva Iga Swiatek
Mirra Andreeva and Iga Swiatek (via X)

Andreeva has continued her consistent form at Indian Wells as well. In the Round of 32, she defeated Clara Tauson, who she faced at the Dubai Tennis Championships finals. In the Round of 16, she defeated sixth seed Elena Rybakina, whom she had previously defeated in the semifinals in Dubai.

She defeated defending champion and second seed Iga Swiatek in three sets in the semifinals of Indian Wells, having also defeated the Pole in the quarterfinals in Dubai.

Aryna Sabalenka reached the Indian Wells finals without dropping a set en route

In the earlier rounds of the Indian Wells tournament, Aryna Sabalenka faced McCartney Kessler, Lucia Bronzetti, Sonay Kartal, and Liudmila Samsonova. The most anticipated match of her draw was perhaps the semifinals, where she met Madison Keys. This marked their next meeting after the Australian Open finals.

Aryna Sabalenka Madison Keys
Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys (via X)

Indian Wells marked Keys’ return to tour after the Australian Open victory where she clinched her maiden Grand Slam title. With a dominating 6-0, 6-1 win in the semifinals, Sabalenka avenged her heartbreaking defeat at the Australian Open final against the American. Securing this win in just 51 minutes, Sabalenka finished with 14 winners to 10 unforced errors and converted five of six break points.