Sunday, March 16, 2025

Wk.11- Mirra is That Girl

Hmmm, a tour-best 19 match victories, including 12 straight wins, with two consecutive 1000 titles and a five-match winning streak vs. Top 10 opponents as she climbs to a career-best #6 in the rankings.

And she's still only 17 years old?

Yep, the rise of Mirra Andreeva has officially become *the* top story of this early stretch of the 2025 season. (Sorry, Madi.)








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*WEEK 11 CHAMPIONS*
INDIAN WELLS (CAL), USA (WTA 1000; Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Mirra Andreeva/RUS def. Aryna Sabalenka/BLR 2-6/6-4/6-3
D: Asia Muhammad/Demi Schuurs (USA/NED) def. Tereza Mihalikova/Olivia Nicholls (SVK/GBR) 6-2/7-6(4)
MX: Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori (ITA/ITA) def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Mate Pavic (USA/CRO) 7-6(3)/3-6 [10-8]




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[IW 3rd Round+]




PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Mirra Andreeva/RUS
...in recent years, a breakout performance in Indian Wells and the heavy lifting involved with raising the championship trophy high have proven to be a prelude to an even greater result later in the season. In both 2018, when Naomi Osaka did it, and 2019, when it was Bianca Andreescu, the desert was the proving ground for slam title runs (in both those cases, at the U.S. Open).

With three major opportunities left in 2025, after what we've seen over the past month, who's brave (or is it crazy?) enough to be willing to wager that Andreeva *won't* end up following in Osaka and Andreescu's grand slam footsteps by the end of this season? If not in New York, then how about Paris (she reached the RG semis last year, after upsetting Aryna Sabalenka) or even London (Round of 16 in her '23 debut)?

Having already notched a 1000 title in Dubai a few weeks ago, during which she rode wins over Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Clara Tauson (in the final) to the winner's circle, Andreeva's I.W. run included second victories over all three of those players as well as Varvara Gracheva, Elina Svitolina and then world #1 Sabalenka in a title match in which the teenager rallied from a set down to avenge two of her three '25 defeats (in the Brisbane SF and AO 4r vs. the Belarusian).



Already the fifth-youngest finalist in I.W. history, the youngest since 2001, the win made the 17-year old the third youngest champion in the desert, behind only back-to-back winners Martina Hingis and Serena Williams in 1998-99. And she did so by knocking off both the world #1 and #2 players in her final two outings, the youngest to do so in the same event over the past 40 years (but not the youngest ever -- that'd be Tracy Austin, almost 46 years ago).

Amongst other things, Andreeva has now placed herself squarely in the middle of the WTA Points Race (at #3, still behind Sabalenka, but only barely, and Keys). More importantly, though, her peers -- who now *mostly* can go by one name only, just like Mirra -- must recognzie that they now have to come with their best (all day long) to take her out.

Neither Swiatek nor Rybakina could do it in two attempts this season, and Sabalenka couldn't do it in the desert despite having already beaten her twice earlier this season. Those three women have won 8 of the last 12 majors.

Welcome to the age of unlimited Andreeva potential, for it seems to have arrived in *full* form even earlier that previously anticipated.


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RISERS: Aryna Sabalenka/BLR and Liudmila Samsonova/RUS
...Sabalenka needed to regain her focus and escape her post-AO final loss rut in Indian Wells. At the very least, she did do that by posting straight sets wins over McCartney Kessler, Lucia Bronzetti, Sonay Kartal, Liudmila Samsonova and Madison Keys (allowing just 1 game vs. her Melbourne conqueror) to reach her second final in the desert in three years.

But Mirra Andreeva proved to be a tough nut to crack and the world #1 fell to 0-2 in I.W. finals, even after Sabalenka got half-way to the win by taking the 1st set and continuing to deny the teenager on BP chances early in the 2nd. But once the Hordette finally broke Sabalenka's serve, after going 0-for-17 in BP attempts over their three '25 matches, it was Andreeva's confidence that soared while Sabalenka's focus wobbled enough to never allow her to be in a commanding position the remainder of the match.

Sabalenka could have opened up a huge 2500+ point lead over #2 Iga Swiatek with the title, but will settle for holding an almost 2300-point edge on Monday. But maybe, long term (i.e. the 2025 year-end #1 spot), Swiatek isn't the player that Sabalenka might need to worry about the most.

She may have lost to *that* player on Sunday.

Still without a title during her career at either of the two biggest regular season hard court events to go with her three hard court majors, Sabalenka heads to Miami, where she's yet to reach a final (her best result has been a pair of QF, the last coming in 2023). If she can change that, though, she'd be just the third woman since 2000 (when it was Davenport vs. Hingis in the Melbourne, I.W. *and* Miami finals) to reach the title match of all three of the top early-season hard court events in a single season. The only two others to do it since then have been Maria Sharapova (2012) and Elena Rybakina (2023).

Meanwhile, Samsonova's QF run in Indian Wells, which included a win over #6 Jasmine Paolini (the Hordette's second Top 10 win in '25), gives her three Final 8 results in 1000 events since the start of last year (after reaching two finals, in Canada and Beijing, in '23) and sets her on a rare upward course over the opening months of a season.

Samsonova had additional victories over Caty McNally and Dasha Kasatkina in the desert before being taken out by #Sabalenka 2 & 3, enough for her best career I.W. finish.



A notoriously slow starter in recent seasons, the result lifts Samsonova above what had been another lackluster first leg (she was 6-6 pre-I.W.) to 9-7, her best January-through-Indian Wells record since 2021.

Samsonova stood at 4-7 through I.W. last year (and was soon 5-11), 8-7 in '23 (9-9) and 6-6 when leaving the desert in '22 (then 6-7 after Miami).
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SURPRISE: Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori, ITA/ITA
...all right, the Italian duo winning the Indian Wells Mixed Doubles Invitational isn't a "surprise," per se, considering they *are* the reigning U.S. Open MX champs, as well. But since *this* event's competition took place during *the actual tournament*, rather than as an "extra" that will occur before the start of the U.S. Open this summer -- during qualifying week (in an abbreviated draw that the USTA wants to be filled with bigger *singles* names) in a set-up that will make it feel even more like an exhibition than this *true* exhibition no matter the prize money involved -- it surely deserves a special mention this week.



Errani/Vavassori won a 10-8 MTB over Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Mate Pavic in the final.

Mattek-Sands was looking to add one of the few MX titles she's yet to claim, as the four-time slam MX champ has won the crown at three different majors (all but Wimbledon) as well as having an Olympic Gold medal (in 2016).
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VETERANS: Donna Vekic/CRO and Elina Svitolina/UKR
...Vekic has walked a strange path in 2025. She opened the year with a Top 20 ranking at the season's onset for the first time in her career, only to start 0-3. She bounced back to reach the AO 4th Round, her third straight second week run at a major (she had four *total* from 2013-22), and the second in three years in Melbourne.

But the 28-year old Croatian arrived in the desert having since dropped four straight.



In her tenth career I.W. MD, Vekic reached her first Round of 16 in the event with wins over Elina Avanesyan and Emma Navarro (her first Top 10 win since her Olympic Silver medal result last summer). In 57 MD appearances in 1000 level events, it was just Vekic's second 4th Round result (w/ '23 Rome 4r). Against Madison Keys, she won the 1st set vs. the AO champ and, after a no-break 2nd set led to a TB, lost a 9-7 breaker before going on to lose in three.

Vekic is still just 5-8 on the season, but will get another shot in 1000 MD #58 in Miami to reach her maiden QF. Remember, it took her 43 slam MD tries (the fifth-most all-time) before finally reaching her maiden SF at Wimbledon last year, so maybe something big will soon be around the corner.



Meanwhile, Svitolina followed up her AO QF in January with a QF run in the desert, her best Melbourne/Indian Wells result combo since 2019 (QF/SF).

The Ukrainian opened with a win over Ashlyn Krueger, then kept her momentum going by taking out Danielle Collins and #4 Jessica Pegula (career Top 10 win #41, and tying for her second biggest since 2019 -- w/ a win over #4 Paolini at this year's AO, behind only a #1 victory vs. Swiatek at the '23 Wimbledon). Svitolina dominated Pegula in the 2nd/3rd sets (1 & 2) after a long rain delay one game into the final set.



Svitolina lost a round later to Mirra Andreeva in straights, and heads to Miami ranked just ouside the Top 20 (her best result there has been a SF in 2021).
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COMEBACK: Belinda Bencic/SUI
...Bencic's comeback has proven to be one of the bigger stories of 2025's 1st Quarter, but she couldn't ride it to her first 1000 SF since 2022. She did reach her 11th career QF in just the second 1000 MD attempt of her comeback, though, while improving to 17-5 on the year.

After being a month away from becoming a first-time mother at this time in '24, the Swiss wild card's I.W. run included wins over Tatjana Maria, Doha champ Amanda Anisimova, Diana Shnaider and #3 Coco Gauff, Bencic's second Top 10 win of the year and her best since Charleston '23 (#3 Pegula).

Bencic fell to AO champ Madison Keys (her 16th consecutive win), but will return to the Top 50 on Monday and finds herself in the Top 10 in the 2025 Points Race heading into Miami.


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ITF PLAYERS: Sinja Kraus/AUT and Joanna Garland/TPE
...Kraus took the honors at the $75K Székesfehérvár challenger in Hungary, winning her second '25 crown via a 2-6/7-5/6-3 victory in the final over Amarissa Toth on the Hungarian's home clay (it's Toth biggest singles final appearance, and she'll jump 95 spots to obliterate her previous career high of #369, nearly cracking the Top 300 at #301).

The eleventh ITF win in the Austrian's career, it's Kraus' biggest so far and her fifth claimed since last August. She jumps 28 spots to #163, just 12 behind her career high of #151. That spot is currently held by Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, just 45 points ahead of Kraus.

Elsewhere, in Solarino (ITA), 23-year old Garland continued her barnstorming tour across the ITF circuit, claiming her ninth title since October and second in less than a week.

After winning the delayed Week 10 $35K Solarino final on Monday, the British-born Taiwanese player extended her stay and her winning streak to ten matches and picked up yet another title, defeating Viktoria Hruncakova in a 7-6(4)/6-2 final on Sunday.

53-5 over the past five months (a run which included a previous 29-match streak), Garland has collected nine $35K crowns over the stretch and lifted her ranking from #551 (in November) to #222 on Monday (one off her career high).


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JUNIOR STAR: Julieta Pareja/USA
...16-year old Californian Pareja claimed the J300 title in the event held in Indian Wells, closing out her week with wins over 16-year old Adla Lopez in the semis and 17-year old qualifier Alexis Nguyen in a 6-1/6-2 final contested during the Sabalenka/Andreeva women's championship match.

Pareja didn't drop a set all week, and improved to 14-1 in her last three events. She's reached three straight finals, claiming J300 wins in Barranquilla in January and this week in the desert, along with a RU in Lima in February.
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DOUBLES: Asia Muhammad/Demi Schuurs, USA/NED
...with a draw chocked full of former I.W. WD champs (5) and runner-ups (7), the final featured three of four women who'd never reached the title match in the desert before facing off there this year. Only Muhammad, RU with Ena Shibahara in '22, wasn't a newbie.

As it played out, Muhammad & Schuurs upset the #1 (Siniakova/Townsend in a 10-8 MTB in the SF, ending the duo's perfect 12-0 run in '25) and #3 (Errani/Paolini 1r) seeds to reach their maiden final as a pair, then defeated Tereza Mihalikova & Olivia Nicholls in straights sets to grab the win.

It's Muhammad's second 1000 crown ('24 Cincy w/ Routliffe) and 16th tour win; while Schuurs has now collected six 1000 (first since 2020) and 20 overall WTA titles.


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WHEELCHAIR: Aniek Van Koot/NED
...having moved past the recovering Diede de Groot to #2 in the rankings following her RU finish in Rome (USA) last week, Van Koot headed slightly west to Baton Rouge in Louisiana and swept the titles at the Cajun Classic Super Series event this past week.

The veteran Van Koot lost in last week's final to Dutch countrywoman Lizzy de Greef, but won over the 20-year old when they met again in the QF (6-1/7-5). After a SF victory over Kgothatso Montjane, Van Koot defeated 19-year old Pastry roller Ksenia Chasteau in a 6-2/6-2 final. Chasteau, the '24 RG junior champ who has thus far not won a pro title above the Series 3 level, had upset the #2 (Angelica Bernal) and #3 (Zhu Zhenzhen) seeds before losing to top seeded Van Koot.

Van Koot also won the doubles alongside Brit Lucy Shuker.
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[IW 3rd Round+]


1. Indian Wells 3rd Rd. - Madison Keys def. Elise Mertens
...6-2/6-7(8)/6-4. Keys keeps her winning streak going, but only after nearly wasting a 6-2/3-0 lead over the veteran Waffle. Keys served at 5-3 and held 2 MP in the 2nd, then a second and third in the TB that was ultimately won 10-8 by Mertens.


Mertens couldn't complete the comeback to get what would have been her first Top 10 win since the 2023 RG (Pegula), though, as Keys claimed the 3rd set (on MP #6).


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2. Indian Wells 3rd Rd. - Jasmine Paolini def. Jaqueline Cristian
...6-4/3-6/6-4. Cristian nearly kept her crowd-pleasing run in the desert going, but Paolini rallied from 3-1 down in the 3rd to edge out the Romanian for the victory. The Italian was forced to save two BP at 4-4 in the decider, a nine-deuce hold that preceded Paolini's break of Cristian (who'd led 30/love) a game later to end the match.


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3. Indian Wells SF - Aryna Sabalenka def. Madison Keys
...6-0/6-1. On a cold and windy night in the desert, Keys' 16-match winning streak came to a thudding halt in her first meeting with Sabalenka since defeating her in the AO final in January.

The ignominious scoreboard denouement -- Sabalenka led 6-0/5-0, and likely had a tad of mercy late in avoiding the love & love final -- came at the end of a week where Keys struggled (going to three vs. Mertens after having 4 MP in the 2nd), battled (coming back from a set down vs. Vekic, winning a 2nd set TB) and dominated (1 & 1 vs. Bencic) in her return to action for the first time since Melbourne.
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4. Indian Wells 3rd Rd. - Zheng Qinwen def. Lulu Sun
...6-4/7-5. Meeting for the first time since Sun upset Zheng in the 1st Round of Wimbledon last summer, Zheng evens the score to drop the New Zealander to 13-15 since their previous meeting.

Afterward, Zheng admitted to having a long memory about such things.



Hmmm, if it was "story-time" with the WTA, is this where there'd be a plot thread where Emma Navarro is being stalked around the world by an unseen foe hiding in the shadows? Although, Zheng did *defeat* Navarro at the Olympics before she was insulted by her, so maybe the same "rules of revenge" don't apply.

Meanwhile, perhaps Iga Swiatek has a decent memory, too, as two rounds later (in their first match-up since Zheng got the win in their Olympic QF in Paris) Zheng was sent packing 3 & 3.


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5. $75K Targu Mures ROU Final - Patricia Hon def. Arianne Hartono
...6-3/6-4. The Aussie picks up her second $75K crown of the season, and the rare title *outside* of Australia.

Hon is 13-2 in career ITF finals, a mark which includes a 9-2 mark on home soil. This is her first win away from Down Under since 2022.
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@christina_mchale


HM- $15K Montreal (QUE) CAN Final - Raphaëlle Lacasse/Christina McHale def. Sara Daavettila/Sabastiana Leon
...7-5/6-1. McHale, 32, grabs her first title since her return last November after having retired in September 2022.

The New Jersey native's most recent ITF doubles crown came in 2010 (Arantxa Rus, still active 15 years later, was on the other side of the net), and her last at tour level was in 2016.

McHale was once a Top 25 singles player, reaching two WTA finals (winning one) and notching Top 10 wins over no less than five different former slam champions (Azarenka, Wozniacki, Bartoli, Kvitova and Muguruza), defeating a then-#1 Caroline Wozniacki in 2011 and a #3-ranked Petra Kvitova a year later.
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[IW 3rd Round+]


1. Indian Wells Final - Mirra Andreeva def. Aryna Sabalenka
...2-6/6-4/6-3. In the desert, Mirra was no mirage.

Sabalenka came into the match with a 4-1 head-to-head advantage, and 2-0 edge in '25 (via 6-3/6-2 and 6-1/6-2 wins in January) vs. Andreeva. Early on, she held her ground and swatted away the young Russian's attempts to break her serve for the first time this year, holding from love/30 in game 1 and saving four BP in game 3. She broke Andreeva at love in game 4, and carried out her edge to a 1st set victory.

Things started similarly in the 2nd, as Sabalenka saved three more BP in the opening game, making Andreeva 0-for-7 on the day and 0-for-18 on the year in their trio of match-ups. But the teenager, bolstered by a heap of success since those previous early season defeats, never stopped challenging Sabalenka. Finally, in game 3, her maiden '25 break of Sabalenka's serve came. And it changed everything.

After an Andreeva hold for 3-1, she was the one in the position of saving BP (2 in game 6) to maintain her lead, finishing off Sabalenka's best chance to get back on serve on the BP #2 when she reached a ball in the doubles alley and flicked a crosscourt backhand passing shot that caught the sideline and put her in the driver's seat en route to the title.



Sabalenka saved a SP and held for 4-5, but Andreeva serve out the set a game later, then broke to take charge in the first game of the 3rd.

Sabalenka prevented Andreeva from a game 2 hold despite three GP chances, including one in which the world #1 framed her return, hit the baseline, then saw the teenager commit an error. Two points later the set was back on serve at 1-1, but Sabalenka dropped served again in the next game and Mirra's path was suddenly very clear.

Ultimately, Andreeva didn't need to serve things out. Up 5-3, her second serve return winner down the line gave her a 15/30 lead on Sabalenka's serve, then a great defensive get forced a made-to-hit-one-more-shot Sabalenka UE that handed the teenager her first MP. She wouldn't need a second.



Then, as has quickly become her trademark, Andreeva thanked everyone important who played a part in yet another career-best achievement, and didn't forget the *most* important figure in the mix. Needless to say, Mirra has quickly become known for saying the quiet part out loud...


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2. Indian Wells 4th Rd. - Mirra Andreeva def. Elena Rybakina
...6-1/6-2. The 2023 Indian Wells champ plays one of the worst matches of her career, getting just three games (and sporting a woeful 4/33 winner-to-UE ratio) vs. Andreeva, losing to the teenager in a second straight event and getting just six games in her last three sets against her.

All nine of the Top 10 seeds in Indian Wells (Badosa w/d before the start of play) reached at least the 4th Round, but none went out there quite as hard as Rybakina. Although, it *has* been a common occurrance that the Kazakh has been unlucky her '25 draws. This was her fifth loss of the season in a non-team event, and in three of her previous four defeats (Keys/AO, Bencic/ABU, Andreeva/DUB) her conqueror ultimately won the title, with the other loss coming vs. three-time defending champ Swiatek in Doha.



By the end of the week in the desert, *four* of Rybakina's five losses had come vs. the eventual tournament champion.
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3. Indian Wells SF - Mirra Andreeva def. Iga Swiatek
...7-6(1)/1-6/6-3. Andreeva improves to 2-1 vs. Swiatek, backing up her Dubai QF win over the world #2 with another to become the fifth youngest finalist in Indian Wells history as she reaches a second straight 1000 final.

Defending champ Swiatek had rallied to quickly take the 2nd set after dropping a 7-1 1st set TB, but Andreeva didn't blink and reasserted herself to win in three.



As another match slipped away, and another "nemesis" was added to a lengthening list, Swiatek's frustration grew. She was initially criticized for whacking this ball *at* the ballkid, but...



Still, she hit the ball *toward* the ballkid and *into* (sort of, as it didn't quite make it) the stands at her team. If this were a few other players, we know the calls for a default would have overwhelmed the ultimate story of Andreeva's win.

That topic aside, Swiatek had dominated in the early rounds, but while such things mean so much to "momentum players" (Alona and a few others), no player's miniscule early-round games lost totals means less later on than do Iga's. Such an easy early path for Iga has become common in recent seasons, as has the abrupt end of that run when the Pole was then roundly ousted either by a big/deep shot-hitter or an opponent who remains unintimidated by facing such an honored champion. In this case it was Andreeva (again) after Swiatek's ten straight wins, and twenty consecutive sets claimed, in the desert.

With no title since Roland Garros, and no final appearances since her positive drug test last summer, it does make one wonder how long coach Wim Fissette will remain tethered to the Swiatek team. Someone has to be blamed, right? Hmm, what are either Piotr Sierzputowski or Tomasz Wiktorowski -- both named WTA Coach of the Year while coaching Iga -- doing these days, anyway?

Thing is, Swiatek is 2-0 vs. Rybakina (who'd beaten her four out of five before '25), but now 0-2 vs. Andreeva, still winless vs. Ostapenko and has also lost yet another to Gauff (who she formerly dominated) this season.
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4. Indian Wells 3rd Rd. - Sonay Kartal def. Polina Kudermetova
...7-5/6-3. In her 1000 MD debut, Kartal reaches the Round of 16 as a lucky loser, joining the likes of Eva Lys (AO 4r), Aliaksanda Sasnovich (Cluj SF) and Ashlyn Krueger (Adelaide QF) as deep run LL successes already this season.


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5. $75K Kyoto JPN Final - Sara Saito def. Himeno Sakatsume
...6-4/7-6(2). The 18-year old, who reached the Tokyo QF in her WTA debut in the '24 4Q, claims her second $75K+ crown in less than a year. She won a $100K title last June.
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HM- $75K Székesfehérvár HUN Final - Irina Bara/Ekaterine Gorgadze def. Luca Udvardy/Panna Udvardy
...6-7(7)/6-3 [10-3]. The Udvardy sisters -- 19-year old Luca and 26-year old Panna -- lose at the final hurdle, but still play in their first pro final together.
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Yes, it's also the fourth attempt in a decade to (poorly) push the same tired narrative that does nothing to sell the tour/sport.


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Meanwhile, not another critique of the WTA rebrand, but an abbreviated take about a possible "fake" campaign:

Called "Heroes / Every Day," it could combine the ahead-of-its-time 2009 "Looking for a Hero?" marketing strategy with the current decade (and four campaigns) long attempt by the tour to sell women's tennis by positioning the athletes as off-court "game-changing" inspirations for girls, women and others around the world.



The difference is, "#HeroesEveryDay" could be more versatile, and not be *solely" dependent upon pulling off the continued (to date) failed attempts to entertainingly present the WTA's generally-quite-pretentious and preaching-to-the-already-converted vision of itself to potential *new* fans and investors.

It could still utilize the off-court inspiration ("everyday" heroes, every day) angle that the tour so clings to, but combine it with highlighting the on-court heroics the players routinely take part in on a daily (Every Day) basis all year long, leaning into the fact that the WTA is *always on*, i.e. with a season that lasts nearly eleven months, meaning *someone* is doing *something* great pretty much every single day of any calendar year.

In addition to this, the "heroes" aspect could escape the "overly earnest" tone that the tour has for so long preferred, allowing the campaign theme to be punctuated by "superhero"-style photoshoots, filmed "action" ads and short animated pieces (or comic book-style paneled images) featured on social media and starring the tour's top personalities, up-and-coming faces and maybe even greats from the past who have "already saved the world" and passed the baton along to other generations over the decades.

Products such as life-size posters and cardboard stand-ups, special edition phone covers and t-shirts that could work to individualize the athletes, as themselves or their "alter egos" (or maybe both!), in an attempt to engage fans who can then play along with how their favorites are presented and envisioned across the entire WTA landscape, literally wearing their allegiance on their chest, smartphone or bedroom wall.

Just a (quick) thought.



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So, did Indian Wells finally (and mercifully) dispense with the longtime tradition of reigning champions being honored with a mural of their "likeness" the following year? Considering what resulted has very rarely even remotely resembled the players in question, the art has often been the target of criticism.

I couldn't find anything that mentioned an unveiling ceremony for 2025, nor any photos or even any announcement that quietly noted a change. There *was* a new Champions Luncheon this year, though, that featured the '24 winners, Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz. Did it replace the old unveiling ceremomy as the pre-event media event for the reigning champs?



Granted, Swiatek and Alcarez both were already multiple I.W. champions (Alcaraz in 2023-24, Iga '22 & '24) and already had two previous murals unveiled, so another wasn't necessary. Still... well, I guess we'll see next year.

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Meanwhile, the tournaments social media teams are often almost always more creative than that of the WTA...






















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*DEFEATED #1/#2 PLAYERS IN EVENT - since 2010*
2010 SYD: #5 Dementieva = #2 Safina, #1 S.Williams
2010 WTA: #4 Clijsters = #2 Zvonareva, #1 Wozniacki
2012 MAD: #9 S.Williams = #2 Sharapova, #1 Azarenka
2012 WTA: #3 S.Williams = #1 Azarenka, #2 Sharapova
2017 CIN: #6 Muguruza = #1 Pliskova, #2 Halep
2018 CIN: #17 Bertens = #2 Wozniacki, #1 Halep
2022 WTA: #7 Sabalenka (L) = #2 Jabeur, #1 Swiatek
2023 DUB: #30 Krejcikova = #2 Sabalenka, #1 Swiatek
2023 IW: #10 Rybakina = #1 Swiatek, #2 Sabalenka
2024 WTA: #3 Gauff = #2 Swiatek, #1 Sabalenka
2025 AO: #14 Keys = #2 Swiatek, #1 Sabalenka
2025 IW: #11 M.Andreeva = #2 Swiatek, #1 Sabalenka

*MOST WTA FINALS in 2025*
3 - ARYNA SABALENKA (1-2)
2 - Madison Keys (2-0)
2 - MIRRA ANDREEVA (2-0)
2 - McCartney Kessler (1-1)
2 - Elise Mertens (1-1)
2 - Jessie Pegula (1-1)
2 - Clara Tauson (1-1)

*WTA TITLES WON BY TEENAGERS in 2020s*
6 - Coco Gauff (2021,2023-24)
3 - MIRRA ANDREEVA (2024-25)
3 - Iga Swiatek (2020-21)
2 - Leylah Fernandez (2021-22)
2 - Clara Tauson (2021)
1 - Linda Fruhvirtova (2022)
1 - Ashlyn Krueger (2023)
1 - Linda Noskova (2024)
1 - Camila Osorio (2021)
1 - Emma Raducanu (2021)
1 - Diana Shnaider (2024)
1 - Maria Timofeeva (2023)

*LONG WTA (MD only) WINNING STREAKS - 2025*
16 - Madison Keys (January-March; ended by Sabalenka)
12 - MIRRA ANDREEVA (February-active)
11 - Aryna Sabalenka (January; ended by Keys)

*LONG WTA (MD only) WINNING STREAKS - 2020s*
37 - Iga Swiatek (2022; ended by Cornet)
21 - Iga Swiatek (2024; ended by Putintseva)
18 - Iga Swiatek (2023-24; ended by Noskova)
17 - Simona Halep (2020; ended by Swiatek)
16 - Coco Gauff (2023; ended by Swiatek)
16 - MADISON KEYS (2025; ended by Sabalenka)
15 - Danielle Collins (2024; ended by Sabalenka)
15 - Aryna Sabalenka (2024; ended by Muchova)
13 - Liudmila Samsonova (2022; ended by Tomljanovic)
13 - Bernarda Pera (2022; ended by Samsonova)
13 - Aryna Sabalenka (2023; ended by Krejcikova)
13 - Elena Rybakina (2023; ended by Kvitova)
--
NOTE: M.Andreeva on an active 12-match streak after I.W.

*ALL-TIME WTA FINALS - active*
55 - Caroline Wozniacki
42 - Petra Kvitova
41 - Victoria Azarenka
34 - Karolina Pliskova
34 - ARYNA SABALENKA (2 in '25)
30 - Vera Zvonareva
26 - Iga Swiatek
--
ALSO: 83-V.Williams

*2025 - MOST TOP 10 WINS*
5 - MIRRA ANDREEVA (3 in I.W.)
5 - Madison Keys
4 - Iga Swiatek (1 in I.W.)
3 - Liudmila Samsonova (1 in I.W.)
2 - Belinda Bencic (1 in I.W.)
2 - Linda Noskova
2 - Alona Ostapenko
2 - Elina Svitolina (1 in I.W.)

*2020-25 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
23 - Katerina Siniakova (1/6/6/3/5/2)
14 - Barbora Krejcikova (1/5/3/4/1/0)
12 - Elise Mertens (1/4/2/2/3/0)
11 - Hsieh Su-wei (4/2/0/2/3/0)
10 - Desirae Krawczyk (2/2/1/3/1/1)
10 - DEMI SCHUURS (2/2/1/2/2/1)
10 - Laura Siegemund (1/0/3/5/1/0)

*INDIAN WELLS LISTS*
=SINGLES=
[recent finals]
2018 Naomi Osaka def. Dasha Kasatkina
2019 Bianca Andreescu def. Angelique Kerber
2020 DNP
2021 Paula Badosa def. Victoria Azarenka
2022 Iga Swiatek def. Maria Sakkari
2023 Elena Rybakina def. Aryna Sabalenka
2024 Iga Swiatek def. Maria Sakkari
2025 Mirra Andreeva def. Aryna Sabalenka
[Most Finals]
6 - Lindsay Davenport (2-4)
3 - Victoria Azarenka (2-1)
3 - Steffi Graf (2-1)
3 - Maria Sharapova (2-1)
3 - Serena Williams (2-1)
3 - Martina Hingis (1-2)
3 - Caroline Wozniacki (1-2)
3 - Svetlana Kuznetseva (0-3)
2 - Kim Clijsters (2-0)
2 - Mary Joe Fernandez (2-0)
2 - Daniela Hantuchova (2-0)
2 - Martina Navratilova (2-0)
2 - Iga Swiatek (2-0)
2 - Ana Ivanovic (1-1)
2 - Jelena Jankovic (1-1)
2 - Monica Seles (1-1)
2 - Amanda Coetzer (0-2)
2 - ARYNA SABALENKA (0-2)
2 - Maria Sakkari (0-2)
[Consecutive Match Wins]
10 - Martina Navratilova (1990-91)
10 - Ana Ivanovic (2008-09)
10 - Iga Swiatek (2022-23)
10 - IGA SWIATEK (2024-25)
[Youngest Singles Champions]
17y,166d - Martina Hingis (1998)
17y,169d - Serena Williams (1999)
17y,321d - MIRRA ANDREEVA (2025)
18y,90d - Monica Seles (1992)
18y,274d - Bianca Andreescu (2019)
[Youngest Singles Finalists]
17y,91d - Monica Seles, 1991
17y,166d - Martina Hingis, 1998 (W)
17y,169d - Serena Williams, 1999 (W)
17y,283d - Kim Clijsters, 2001
17y,321d - MIRRA ANDREEVA, 2025 (W)
[9/35 Champions Have Won No Slam Titles]
1989 Manuela Maleeva, BUL
1993 Mary Joe Fernandez, USA
1995 Mary Joe Fernandez, USA (2)
2002 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
2007 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK (2)
2009 Vera Zvonareva, RUS
2010 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2017 Elena Vesnina, RUS
2021 Paula Badosa, ESP
2025 Mirra Andreeva, RUS
[6 Champions Have Never Reached Slam Finals]
1989 Manuela Maleeva, BUL
2002 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
2007 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK (2)
2017 Elena Vesnina, RUS
2021 Paula Badosa, ESP
2025 Mirra Andreeva, RUS
[Only 10 Finalists Have Never Reached a Slam Final]
1989 Manuela Maleeva (best slam: SF)
1989 Jenny Byrne (3rd)
1997 Irina Spirlea (SF)
1993/94 Amanda Coetzer (SF)
2002/07 Daniela Hantuchova (SF)
2018 Dasha Kasatkina (SF)
2021 Paula Badosa (SF)
2022 Maria Sakkari (SF)
2024 Maria Sakkari (SF)
2025 Mirra Andreeva (SF)
=DOUBLES=
[recent champions]
2018 Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova
2019 Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka
2020 DNP
2021 Hsieh Su-wei/Elise Mertens
2022 Xu Yifan/Yang Zhaoxuan
2023 Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova
2024 Hsieh Su-wei/Elise Mertens
2025 Asia Muhammad/Demi Schuurs
[MX Champions]
2024 Storm Hunter/Matthew Ebden
2025 Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori

*REACHED AO-IW-MIA FINALS IN SEASON*
1991 Monica Seles (W-L-W)
1994 Steffi Graf (W-W-W)
2000 Lindsay Davenport (W-W-L)
2000 Martina Hingis (L-L-W)
2012 Maria Sharapova (L-L-L)
2023 Elena Rybakina (L-W-L)
--
NOTE: ARYNA SABALENKA (AO and IW finals in '25, 0-2)

*MIAMI FACTS 1985-present*
=SINGLES=
[recent finals]
2018 Sloane Stephens def. Alona Ostapenko
2019 Ash Barty def. Karolina Pliskova
2020 DNP
2021 Ash Barty def. Bianca Andreescu
2022 Iga Swiatek def. Naomi Osaka
2023 Petra Kvitova def. Elena Rybakina
2024 Danielle Collins d. Elena Rybakina
[Most Singles Titles]
8 - Serena Williams, USA
5 - Steffi Graf, GER
3 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2 - Ash Barty, AUS
2 - Kim Clijsters, BEL
2 - Martina Hingis, SUI
2 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
2 - Monica Seles, YUG
2 - Venus Williams, USA
[Consecutive Titles]
3 - Steffi Graf (1994-96)
3 - Serena Williams (2002-04)
3 - Serena Williams (2013-15)
2 - Steffi Graf (1987-88)
2 - Monica Seles (1990-91)
2 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (1992-93)
2 - Venus Williams (1998-99)
2 - Serena Williams (2007-08)
2 - Ash Barty (2019/21)
[Most Finals]
10 - Serena Williams (8-2)
7 - Steffi Graf (5-2)
5 - Chris Evert (1-4)
5 - Maria Sharapova (0-5)
4 - Venus Williams (3-1)
3 - Victoria Azarenka (3-0)
3 - Monica Seles (2-1)
3 - Gabriela Sabatini (1-2)
3 - Jennifer Capriati (0-3)
2 - Ash Barty (2-0)
2 - Kim Clijsters (2-0)
2 - Martina Hingis (2-0)
2 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (2-0)
2 - Svetlana Kuznetsova (1-1)
2 - Elena Rybakina (0-2)
[Consecutive Finals]
5 - Chris Evert (1985-89)
4 - Steffi Graf (1993-96)
3 - Steffi Graf (1986-88)
3 - Jennifer Capriati (2001-03)
3 - Serena Williams (2002-04)
3 - Serena Williams (2007-09)
3 - Maria Sharapova (2011-13)
3 - Serena Williams (2013-15)
2 - Monica Seles (1990-91)
2 - Gabriela Sabatini (1991-92)
2 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (1992-93)
2 - Venus Williams (1998-99)
2 - Maria Sharapova (2005-06)
2 - Ash Barty (2019/21)
2 - Elena Rybakina (2023-24)
[Consecutive Match Wins]
21 - Steffi Graf (1994-96,99)
21 - Serena Willians (2002-05)
20 - Serena Williams (2013-16)
[1 Unseeded Champion]
2005 Kim Clijsters
2024 Danielle Collins
[Low-Ranked Champion]
#53 - Danielle Collins (2024)
[Youngest Singles Champion]
16y,111d - Monica Seles (1990)
[Oldest Singles Champion]
33y,190d - Serena Williams (2015)
33y,25d - Petra Kvitova (2023)
[Oldest Singles Finalist]
34 - Chris Evert (1989)
33 - Chris Evert (1988)
33 - Serena Williams (2015) - W
33 - Petra Kvitova (2023) - W
[6 Finalists Have Not a Reached Slam Final]
1990 Judith Weisner
1995 Kimiko Date
1996 Chanda Rubin
1998 Anna Kournikova
2015 Carla Suarez Navarro
2017 Johanna Konta (W)
[10 Finalists Have Never Won a Slam]
1990 Judith Weisner
1994 Natasha Zvereva
1995 Kimiko Date
1996 Chanda Rubin
1998 Anna Kournikova
2008 Jelena Jankovic
2012 Aga Radwanska (W)
2015 Carla Suarez Navarro
2017 Johanna Konta (W)
2024 Danielle Collins (W)
=DOUBLES=
[recent champions]
2018 Ash Barty/CoCo Vandeweghe
2019 Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka
2020 DNP
2021 Shuko Aoyma/Ena Shibahara
2022 Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva
2023 Coco Gauff/Jessie Pegula
2024 Sofia Kenin/Bethanie Mattek-Sands
[Most Titles]
7 - Jana Novotna, CZE
5 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
4 - Martina Hingis, SUI
3 - Nadia Petrova, RUS
3 - Lisa Raymond, USA
3 - Helena Sukova, CZE
2 - Gigi Fernandez, USA
2 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
2 - Martina Navratilova, USA
2 - Larisa Savchenko Neiland, LAT
2 - Pam Shriver, USA
2 - Katarina Srebotnik, SLO
2 - Samantha Stosur, AUS
2 - Ai Sugiyama, JPN
2 - Natasha Zvereva, BLR
[Most Titles - duos]
2 - Hingis/Novotna, SUI/CZE
2 - Novotna/Sanchez Vicario, CZE/ESP
2 - Novotna/Sukova, CZE/CZE
2 - Raymond/Stosur, USA/AUS
[Consecutive Titles]
1986-87 Pam Shriver, USA
1989-90 Novotna/Sukova, CZE/CZE
1992-93 Larisa Savchenko Neiland, LAT
1995-96 Novotna/Sanchez Vicario, CZE/ESP
1996-97 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
1998-99 Hingis/Novotna, SUI/CZE
2006-07 Raymond/Stosur, USA/AUS
2012-13 Nadia Petrova, RUS
2014-15 Martina Hingis, SUI

*"SUNSHINE DOUBLE" (IW/MIA) WINNERS*
[WS]
1994 Steffi Graf, GER
1996 Steffi Graf, GER
2005 Kim Clijsters , BEL
2016 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2022 Iga Swiatek, POL
[WD]
1997 Natasha Zvereva, BLR
1999 Martina Hingis, SUI
2002 Lisa Raymond/Rennae Stubbs, USA/AUS
2006 Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
2007 Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
2015 Martina Hingis/Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
2016 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
2019 Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
--
NOTE: Jana Novotna/Helena Sukova won both IW/Mia as non-consecutive events in 1990






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All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 11:57 PM 

3 Comments:

Blogger khan35 said...

Mirra is ready to achieve great things in tennis. I would be disappointed in her, if she doesn't win a major this year.

Swiatek is going backward since winning the US Open in '22 as far as her outside clay court performances are concerned. She is truly a clay merchant now.

Mon Mar 17, 05:21:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

Thank you for the multiple shout-outs--that means a lot to me. :)

As I watched Andreeva in the final, I thought of Jankovic (the dead-on accuracy of that backhand down the line) and Radwanska (those perfect slices and sneaky lobs). And, of course, Andreeva has that powerful serve--at 17 years old.

I also thought of Chris Evert, and how she had to contend with what she said was looking across the net and seeing herself when she suddenly had to face losses against a kid named Tracy Austin. Evert solved that problem--after all, she was Chris Evert.

Mon Mar 17, 11:06:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

Oh, and also--if only YOU worked for the WTA......

Mon Mar 17, 01:50:00 PM EDT  

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