“Peak Karan” – Elina Svitolina slammed for her Ukraine stance after not shaking hands with 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells

Elina Svitolina faced criticism after refusing to shake hands with Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells. She lost to the Russian player in the quarterfinals, falling in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3. After the match, she only shook hands with the umpire and ignored her opponent.

Svitolina has not shaken hands with Russian and Belarusian players since the Ukraine-Russia war began in 2022. She has taken this stance in many matches. Her decision has drawn attention and sparked debate among tennis fans.

In 2023, she made headlines for refusing to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka after losing to her at the French Open. She has continued this protest at different tournaments.

Sky’s the limit 🌠

Mirra Andreeva delivers a stunning performance to knock out Svitolina 7-5, 6-3 and storm into the Indian Wells semifinals!#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/NE6hqR7h3G

— wta (@WTA) March 13, 2025

Last year at Wimbledon, she did the same. After one of her wins, she also dedicated her victory to the people of Ukraine. Her actions continue to be a topic of discussion in the tennis world.

Netizens slam Elina Svitolina for her stance

As soon as the incident at Indian Wells happened, fans took to X to criticize Elina Svitolina and her stance. Many believe that, despite her opinion on the matter, it has nothing to do with the Russian rising star Mirra Andreeva. Here are some of the reactions:

Svitolina not shaking the hands of a 17 year old is peak Karen

— Dan Gernez (@GernezDan) March 13, 2025

Svitolina can’t even shake hands & congratulate a 17 year old fellow tennis competitor?????

Unsportsmanlike behavior https://t.co/ge1tt6cFG3

— Parag Gupta (@Parag_Gupta) March 14, 2025

She could have rallied the Ukrainian, Russian and Belorussian players together under an anti-war cause… but she prefers these juvenile displays instead. Pathetic.

— BullzOverBearz (@BullzOverBearz) March 15, 2025

Svitolina and her no handshake agenda – it is disgusting. I can understand it against folks like Sabalenka, may be.

But doing it against a kid like Mira Andreeva who probably is not even eligible to vote in Russia – that's pathetic.

I hope the tournaments on American soil ban…

— Manohar Kanapaka (@mkanapaka) March 14, 2025

How disgusting to not shake hand with a 17yr old

— Raja Vidhun (@rajavidhun) March 13, 2025

Keep crying in monfils lap now, you should have shaken hands with mirra there

— Khaaya Lagaya (@khaayaLagaya) March 14, 2025

well, I would like to understand Elina, but I think that not shaking hands with a 17 year old(!) girl who btw later shows respect to her opponent as she leaves the court is very weak..

— zzbmer (@zzbmer) March 14, 2025

This no handshake attitude from Svitolina is now just disrespect for the game and her opponent, a 17th year old. This won't help Ukraine in any way

— PHEA (@PPEPA25) March 14, 2025

If I was Andreeva I will still stretch my hands for Svitolina to shake..
She won’t be preparing Andreeva for global backlash but herself(Svitolina).

— JEAGA 𝕏 (@j4jeaga) March 14, 2025

The tennis world, like the rest of sports, has become heavily influenced by politics since the Ukraine-Russia war began in February 2022. During the 2022 season, all Russian players were withdrawn from Wimbledon. The All England Club had agreed that Russian players could only participate if they publicly disapproved of Russia’s actions.

As a result, all players from Russia and Belarus were unable to compete at Wimbledon. In response, the ATP Tour decided to remove all ATP and WTA ranking points from the tournament. Elena Rybakina won the women’s championship, while Novak Djokovic claimed the men’s title.

Returning to tennis, Andreeva will be feeling confident about her chances at Indian Wells. She is coming off a title win at the Dubai Duty Free Championship.

Mirra Andreeva continues winning run against Iga Swiatek

Mirra Andreeva and Iga Swiatek both had strong winning streaks before their semifinal match at Indian Wells. The young Russian had won 10 matches in a row, while Swiatek had won her last 10 matches at the BNP Paribas Open. One of their streaks had to end as they faced off in an exciting battle. In the end, Andreeva won 7-6 (1), 1-6, 6-3, reaching her second straight WTA 1000 final.

Swiatek had not lost a set in her last 20 at this tournament, but Andreeva showed great composure. She had a chance to serve out the first set at 5-4 but could not close it. However, she dominated the tie-break with her strong backhand, taking advantage of the windy conditions. The 17-year-old finished the set with 18 winners and only 11 unforced errors.

Swiatek responded well in the second set. She broke Andreeva’s serve right away and used her experience to take control. With strong baseline play and an improved forehand, she quickly won the set 6-1. But the match shifted again in the final set, as Swiatek made too many unforced errors, allowing Andreeva to take an early 2-0 lead.

Andreeva extended her lead to 4-1 with a double break. The crowd started to support her as Swiatek struggled. Though the World No.2 broke back once, she could not hold her serve, losing for the fifth time in the match. Andreeva now moves on to the final, where she will face Aryna Sabalenka. Still looking for her first title since the 2024 French Open, Swiatek will have to wait for another chance.

Mirra Andreeva claimed to be the next Maria Sharapova

Mirra Andreeva has been compared to Russian tennis legend Maria Sharapova, but she has quickly rejected these comparisons. The young star insists she wants to focus on her own career rather than be measured against past champions. Despite her stance, many still see similarities between the two due to their playing style and early success.

Yeah, of course I know what’s been going on, and about Maria and Serena. I have watched them play a lot, so I also know that they won a lot of titles and a lot of tournaments while being very young,” she added. “I know what they have done. Okay, good for them. But I try not to think about them and try to focus on what to do with my career.

Mirra Andreeva said in her post-match press conference

Andreeva’s impressive performances in 2025 have made her one of the most talked-about players in the world. Her rapid rise has led many to believe she could soon become the best player on tour. With each tournament, she continues to prove her talent and potential.

Like Coco Gauff before her, Andreeva is facing comparisons to a former great. When Gauff emerged, she was frequently likened to Serena and Venus Williams. Now, Andreeva finds herself in a similar position, being compared to Sharapova.

Gauff silenced her doubters by winning the US Open in 2023. Andreeva now has the chance to carve out her own legacy and see if she can achieve the same Grand Slam success as Sharapova.

Mirra Andreeva makes history at Indian Wells

Russian rising star Mirra Andreeva made history by reaching the Indian Wells final at just 17 years old. She is the youngest player to do so since 2001. In the semifinal, she defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek. This was her second win over the world number two in recent months.

Andreeva had also beaten Swiatek in Dubai in February on her way to winning her first WTA 1000 title. She has now won 11 matches in a row. In the semifinal, she lost the second set but stayed strong to win 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 6-3.

She is only the fifth player under 18 to reach the final at Indian Wells since the tournament started in 1989. The others are Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Serena Williams, and Kim Clijsters. All of them became world number one and won Grand Slam titles.

Andreeva now has a chance to make more history. If she wins, she will be the first teenager to take the title since Bianca Andreescu in 2019. She is just one step away from another big achievement.