Aryna Sabalenka continues her quest for that elusive WTA Finals trophy as she faces Mirra Andreeva in her second match at the Indian Wells Gardens in Group 2.

The four-time Grand Slam singles champion defeated Karolina Muchova in her opener 7-6 (7-2) 7-5, while Andreeva got past Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-0.

Match preview

It was not an easy match, but Sabalenka came through on Monday, winning the only tiebreak in her opener to kick off the event on a positive note.

Although her serve was far from consistent, registering seven double faults, Sabalenka converted five break-point opportunities to take the match.

She also won 77 points overall and hit 75% of her first serves, as she aims to end the year on a positive note despite a subpar season.

Sabalenka will try to win a fifth straight group contest in the WTA Finals this week, with her last defeat in this phase of the tournament occurring in 2024 against Elena Rybakina.

The Belarusian battled back from a break down in both sets on Monday to win, as she seeks to triumph at the Indian Wells Gardens for a second time in 2026.

While she hit just four aces in her opener, the highest-ranked player at the event this year since the withdrawal of Rybakina won 33 receiving points.

In her first WTA Finals match, Mirra Andreeva looked very convincing, dominating Svitolina throughout Monday’s affair.

The #6 ranked player heading into this event was extremely sharp on the day, converting four of her six break-point opportunities, while failing to concede one herself.

Although she only registered one ace in that match, Andreeva won 85% of her first serves and overcame six double faults.

She has now won two of her last three matches at Indian Wells and will hope to win successive affairs at the Indian Wells Gardens for the first time in 2026.

Andreeva won 28 receiving points in her opener and 60% of her second serves as she looked quite comfortable throughout most of the encounter.

In 2026, Andreeva has won over 65% of her first serves and nearly 75% of her service games across all surfaces.

Tournament so far

Aryna Sabalenka:

First match: vs. Karolina Muchova 7-6 (7-2) 7-5

Mirra Andreeva:

First match: vs. Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-0

Head To Head

Madrid Open (2023) - Round of 16: Sabalenka wins 6-3 6-1

Madrid Open (2024) - Quarter-finals: Sabalenka wins 6-1 6-4

French Open (2024) - Quarter-finals: Andreeva wins 6-7 6-4 6-4

Brisbane Open (2025) - Semi-finals: Sabalenka wins 6-3 6-2

Australian Open (2025) - Round of 16: Sabalenka wins 6-1 6-2

Indian Well Open (2025) - Final: Andreeva wins 2-6 6-4 3-6

In their first meeting in Madrid, Sabalenka won 71% of her second serves to advance in straight sets.

They met again a year later at that event with a similar result, as Sabalenka won 79% of her first serves and registered just one double fault.

When they faced each other at a major tournament for the first time, the younger Andreeva came out on top, converting eight break points.

On the hard court at the Aussie Open last year, Sabalenka earned a straight sets victory, failing to hit a single double fault while converting four break points.

The last time these ladies met at Indian Wells was last year, in a match where Andreeva came from a set down to win the tournament, hitting six aces.

We say: Sabalenka to win in three sets

Sabalenka can at times be her own worst enemy, but we believe her determination and power will carry her through this second match.