Iga Swiatek stages drama as she fails to make Indian Wells final

It seems Iga Swiatek has much to work on when it comes to her on-court demeanor. A teenager eliminating a top-ranked Grand Slam champion in back-to-back tournaments is undoubtedly a tough pill to swallow. However, that still doesn’t justify a reaction extreme enough to startle a ball boy. The 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva is on a rapid rise, achieving several firsts, and Swiatek, much like Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina, seems to have no answer to the Russian prodigy. Still in search of her first title this season, Swiatek did not take another loss to Andreeva lightly. As the match slipped from her control, she forcefully hit a ball handed to her by a ball boy at Indian Wells.

Iga Swiatek smashes the ball towards a ball boy as she loses the Indian Wells semi-final to Mirra Andreeva

Iga Swiatek, the top contender for the Indian Wells title, suffered a shock semi-final defeat to Mirra Andreeva on Saturday. The Russian teenager made a strong start, edging out Swiatek in a tense first-set tiebreaker to take it 7-6. The World No.2 responded emphatically in the second set, dominating 6-1 to seemingly shift the momentum in her favor. However, Andreeva held her nerve in the deciding set, clinching a commanding 6-3 win to seal a three-set triumph 7-6, 1-6, 6-3.

The match was not without its share of controversy, with Swiatek displaying visible frustration throughout. She struggled to gain control for large parts of the contest, frequently expressing her anger toward herself and her team. One of the most dramatic moments came when she slammed a ball into the ground in frustration after receiving it from a ball kid, leaving the youngster visibly startled as it rebounded toward Swiatek’s team. In the third set, Swiatek also approached the chair umpire, complaining that movement from the ball kids during her opponent’s serve was causing a distraction. 

Iga Swiatek hitting ball at ball kid pic.twitter.com/DGdoIG6hc1

— Truth Enjoyer (@m0chul) March 15, 2025

With this victory, Andreeva extended her winning streak on tour to 11 matches, while also putting an end to Swiatek’s 10-match unbeaten run. Andreeva is set to clash with Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning World No. 1, in the final. The two have crossed paths six times before, with the young sensation managing just one victory, coming in the semifinals of the 2024 French Open. Earlier this year, Sabalenka dominated their encounters, securing straight-set wins of 6-3, 6-2 in Brisbane and 6-1, 6-2 at the Australian Open.