Mirra Andreeva defeats Elina Svitolina at WTA Finals, Digi Mart USA News: Russian tennis player Mirra Andreeva, the world No. 3 and reigning Roland Garros champion, defeated Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the sixth-ranked player, 6-4, 6-0.
After the match ended, Svitolina appeared serious and visibly disconcerted and again declined to shake her opponent’s hand. Players from her country have made the same gesture in protest of the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory, which began in 2022 under the government of Vladimir Putin.
Andreeva, 19, took control of the match by breaking to lead 4-2 in the first set and never relinquished the initiative. She held serve to close the opening set and then dominated the second set, winning three breaks to seal the victory over the more experienced Ukrainian.
“I was so tense that I felt like I was moving like a turtle,” Andreeva said after the match. “I felt I really couldn’t hit the ball, so I am very happy to have got through the match and to have controlled my emotions.”
Elsewhere, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka beat Czech player Karolina Muchova in two sets on Monday, getting her participation in the WTA Finals off to a strong start. The tournament brings together the eight best players of the season in Indian Wells.
The former world No. 1 had to work hard before winning 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 in just under two hours on the hard court in California. Sabalenka, the second seed, is seeking her first title at the event after losing in the finals in 2022 and 2025.
Sabalenka appears to have an advantage in that pursuit due to the absence, because of a virus, of top-ranked Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. The four-time Grand Slam champion appeared to be in trouble after conceding a break and falling behind 5-4 in the first set.
However, she recovered from the break immediately to level at 5-5 and then kept her composure in the tiebreak, winning it 7-2.
Both players struggled with their serve in the second set. Sabalenka suffered her fourth break when serving for the match at 5-4.
The Belarusian responded by immediately regaining the break to go up 6-5, then held serve without error to finish the match after Muchova sent a backhand into the net.
“I just try to win every match I play and, at the same time, to live the moment, focus on each point and keep calm and in control,” Sabalenka said after the match.
The 2026 WTA Finals were originally scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia but were moved to Indian Wells following U.S. military strikes against Iran in February and the subsequent war in the region.
