By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, March 16, 2025
Photo credit: Tony Chang/Chang Photography
A singular notion replayed in Aryna Sabalenka’s mind following her gripping three-set defeat to Mirra Andreeva in the Indian Wells final.
Rematch.
“Absolutely. I’m eager for a rematch already,” Sabalenka remarked with a grin after her 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat. “Perhaps she’ll regret this moment, but that’s fine. I’ll let her bask in the glory of that stunning trophy.”
“Just kidding! I don’t want to sound bitter,” she continued. “In our next match, I’ll come out swinging harder and ensure I don’t repeat the mistakes I made today.”
In this thrilling encounter—their third meeting of the season—Sabalenka had held her serve flawlessly against Andreeva until the second set’s third game.
Ultimately, 17-year-old Andreeva displayed a more diverse game, clarity, and fierce determination during the closing stages. She struck five more winners (29 to 24), landed five additional aces (6 to 1), and clinched eight of the last nine points with a clever mix of defensive resilience and aggressive strokes. Remarkably, Andreeva broke Sabalenka’s serve three times in the decisive set.
This marks the second heartbreaking three-set final loss for Sabalenka this season, following her defeat in a classic Australian Open final against Madison Keys.
In a dominating semifinal, she dismantled Keys, winning 11 consecutive games in a powerful 6-0, 6-1 performance to secure her spot in the Indian Wells final.
After dropping the first set, Andreeva let out her frustrations by hitting a ball into the stands and directing her emotions toward her support team, which included her mother and coach, Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez. Surprisingly, this seemed to focus the young player.
Sabalenka acknowledged she should’ve managed her emotions more effectively, redirecting her frustration into productive action in the final set.
“I was just frustrated with myself because I thought the conclusion shouldn’t have played out the way it did. I was so hard on myself,” Sabalenka expressed to the media in Indian Wells. “I should’ve channeled that anger positively instead of being overly critical of my performance.”
“It wasn’t really about her; I was fully aware of her game plan, and nothing surprised me. It was more about me learning to control my emotions better.”
