WTA Finals: Mirra Andreeva thrashes Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina beats Karolina Muchova

Mirra Andreeva turned a shaky start into a historic rout at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, overwhelming world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-0 in just 62 minutes. The 19-year-old French Open champion trailed 4-1 in the opening set before winning the final 11 games and 45 of the last 55 points, a stretch of dominance that made her the first player in tournament history to bagel an opponent in each of her first two round-robin matches. After dropping serve with a double fault to fall behind, Andreeva channeled her frustration into her serve, striking three consecutive aces to close the first set and never facing a break point again. She finished with 16 winners against only six unforced errors, while Sabalenka coughed up 23 unforced errors and failed to hit a single ace. The Belarusian, who completed the Sunshine Double this year but has yet to win a major in 2026, suffered her third 6-0 set loss in a deciding or late-stage match this season, following similar collapses at Roland Garros and Berlin.

Earlier on Wednesday, Elina Svitolina kept her title defense alive with a gritty 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 comeback over Karolina Muchova. The 32-year-old Ukrainian, who won the WTA Finals in 2018, looked finished after a poor opening set and a medical timeout for a right hip injury that had her lying on the court for treatment. Instead, the intervention sparked a transformation: Svitolina won 12 of the last 16 games, turning frustration into aggression. "I was really angry at myself after the first match and the first set," she told Sky Sports. "I tried to direct my anger towards the ball and I found my game in the end." Muchova's 39 unforced errors, mostly off the forehand, gifted Svitolina the opening she needed, and the Czech was mathematically eliminated from semifinal contention once Andreeva completed her victory.

The group dynamics are now crystallized. Andreeva advances as the group winner with a 2-0 record and a 24-8 game differential. Sabalenka and Svitolina meet Friday in a straight shootout for the second semifinal spot, each 1-1 in matches. The winner joins Andreeva in the last four; the loser goes home. Andreeva rated her performance an eight out of ten, noting that a ten requires "the best match of your life." Given that she has now beaten two top-10 players in three days after entering the event with only one such win all season, the bar for her best may be rising in real time.

She saved three break points at 0-40 in the second set but could not generate a single breakpoint chance of her own after the first set. Her post-match press conference was brief and bewildered: "She definitely played great tennis. Bravo." With a Grand Slam drought stretching through 2026 despite Indian Wells and Miami titles, the world No. 2 faces a must-win against a resurgent Svitolina on Friday.