Teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva followed up her historic Dubai title win last month by fighting back from a set down against Aryna Sabalenka to beat the world No 1 in the Indian Wells final.
Andreeva became the youngest ever player to win an elite 1000 level crown when she defeated Clara Tauson in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final.
That run saw the 17-year-old defeat three Grand Slam winners on her way to victory over the Dane after knocking out Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina and world No 2 Iga Swiatek.
In California, Andreeva once again beat Tauson, Rybakina and Swiatek en route to facing the top-ranked Sabalenka in the final, with the Belarusian making a flying start by taking the first set.
But Andreeva hit back to level proceedings before breaking the three-time Grand Slam champion three times in the third set, on her way to a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win on Sunday evening.
“I would like to thank myself for fighting to the end, for always believing and for never quitting,” said Andreeva, who pushed her 2025 record to 19-3 – the most wins of any woman on the WTA tour.
“I was running like a rabbit today because Aryna she was sending bullets and it was really hard to keep up.”
At 17 years and 321 days old, the Russian became the third-youngest woman to hoist the Indian Wells trophy after Martina Hingis (17 years, 166 days) and Serena Williams (17 years, 169 days).
By beating defending champion Swiatek in the semis, she also became the first player under the age of 18 to beat the top two at the same WTA tournament since Williams beat Lindsay Davenport and Hingis at the 1999 US Open.
“Maybe it's happening fast, but I like it,” Andreeva said after ensuring she will climb to a career-high sixth in the world. “If it's happening fast, I take it.”
Andreeva credits the steadying influence of coach Conchita Martinez for settling her nerves on Sunday, when she was a bundle of nerves as she prepared to take on Sabalenka, who had won four of their previous five encounters, including two this year.
“I would actually say that I was a brat, and there were a lot of nerves as well,” Andreeva said of her Sunday morning self.
“When I'm nervous, I kind of tend to close my personality a little bit, so I don't let anybody in. I don't really talk much.
“Conchita tried to kind of create a nice and relaxed atmosphere around us today, but in the morning it was a bit tough for me because I was nervous. In the end, she did good with it.”
Sabalenka had powered into the final without dropping a set but it was another disappointment for the Belarusian, who was stunned by Madison Keys in the final at Melbourne to see her bid for a third successive Australian Open title denied.
Unlike in Melbourne when she played “like a joke”, Sabalenka said this time she let her emotions get the better of her.
“Honestly, was me against me,” she said. “I made a lot of unforced errors on important points, and I just let her play a little bit better … I was just too angry with myself, because it shouldn't be the way I finished and I was just angry with myself.
“I should have just thrown that aggression on that side instead of being too hard on myself.”
Sabalenka questioned her own desire after a last-16 exit to world No 38 Tausen in Dubai which meant she had won just one of the three matches she contested during the Middle East swing.
“I believe that I'm not that hungry on court,” said Sabalenka following her loss to Tauson in the UAE.
“I'm kind of all over the place in my thoughts and not consistent on the court. The decisions I'm making on the court are a bit wrong and emotionally, I'm not on my best.”
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