Aryna Sabalenka Sends a Warning to Mirra Andreeva After Indian Wells Final Loss
Aryna Sabalenka had a playful yet ominous message for Mirra Andreeva after falling to the teenager in the Indian Wells final. Despite dominating the first set, the world No. 1 was unable to stop Andreeva’s comeback, with the 17-year-old rallying to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and claim her second consecutive WTA 1000 title.
For Andreeva, it was a revenge victory, having lost both of her previous matches against Sabalenka this season. But Sabalenka made it clear—she’s already looking ahead to their next battle.
Sabalenka’s Warning: “Next Time, It Won’t Be Your Win”
After finishing as Indian Wells runner-up for the second time, the three-time Grand Slam champion had some words of encouragement for Andreeva—before issuing a bold warning.
“Mirra, congrats on an incredible run, great tournament, and great tennis. Congrats on having a great team. If I had the same team you have at your age, I’d probably be a better player by now,” Sabalenka joked.
“I have the best team right now. I mean before. At your age, I was struggling to find the right coach, but you got it so much earlier, that’s why you’re doing so well. Congrats, it’s amazing to see your success.”
Then, she made her intentions clear:
“I’ll meet you next time on court, and it’s probably not going to be your win! But whatever.”
Andreeva couldn’t contain her laughter, watching from the player bench as Sabalenka spoke.
Andreeva’s Response: A Message to Sabalenka and a Public Apology
When it was her turn to speak, the Russian rising star had nothing but praise for her top-seeded opponent:
“Of course, congrats to Aryna and your team. I think that it’s been an amazing two weeks for you, you’ve been playing amazing tennis.”
“I’m sure there are a lot of positives and great things to take from these two weeks, so I think you should do that, and I wish you the best of luck for the rest of the season.”
Andreeva then turned her attention to her coach, former world No. 1 Conchita Martinez, issuing a lighthearted apology for her behavior before the final:
“Conchita, I know as I always say, it can be tough. Today was not the exception. I know I was, as you like to say, a little brat, a little bit in the morning.”
“That’s because I was super nervous, so I’m sorry for that! I don’t think I would be here without all of you, so thank you for being by my side.”
Andreeva Thanks Herself (Again!)
After winning Dubai last month, Andreeva made headlines when she thanked herself during her victory speech. On Sunday, she did it again—and with good reason.
“And last but not least, I would again like to thank myself for fighting until the end, for always believing in me, and for never quitting,” she smiled.
“I don’t know, I tried to run like a rabbit today because Aryna—she’s been sending bullets, and it was really hard to keep up, so I just tried my best. And that’s why I want to thank myself, because I think that I played a little part also!”
What’s Next? A Rivalry in the Making
With her triumph in Indian Wells, Andreeva has now won 12 matches in a row and secured back-to-back WTA 1000 titles. Meanwhile, Sabalenka is eager to bounce back—and if her post-match warning is anything to go by, their next encounter could be explosive.
