Aryna Sabalenka remains confident of reaching the WTA Finals semifinals despite suffering a crushing 6-4, 6-0 defeat to 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday, who won 11 consecutive games to secure her place in the last four.
The world No. 2 appeared firmly in control after taking a 4-1 lead in the opening set but lost her grip on the match as Andreeva mounted a remarkable comeback to claim victory in just 62 minutes and secure top spot in Group 2.
Sabalenka broke the Russian early to establish her advantage, but Andreeva gradually found her rhythm, using her powerful groundstrokes, movement and heavy topspin to force the Belarusian into a series of errors.
After recovering the break, Andreeva took control of the opening set and carried her momentum into the second, breaking Sabalenka immediately to establish a 3-0 lead.
The teenager continued to exploit her opponent's growing frustration, saving no opportunity for a comeback despite Sabalenka's attempts to resist. Even after the Belarusian saved three break points in one game, Andreeva produced a swinging volley winner to create another chance and eventually secured the break with a forehand error from her opponent.
Sabalenka's struggles continued until a backhand into the net handed Andreeva match point. The Russian then sealed the victory with a service winner, completing an extraordinary run of 11 successive games.
"Oh my God, I'm even happier than I was after my first match," Andreeva said. "I feel like I can play another two matches, I'm so full of energy. I'm so pumped up. I'm so happy."
The victory capped another impressive season for Andreeva, whose three titles in 2026 include her maiden Grand Slam triumph at the French Open. The world No. 3 is making her singles debut at the season-ending championships and has already established herself as a serious contender.
Sabalenka acknowledged the quality of her opponent's performance while expressing relief that her semifinal hopes remain intact.
"She definitely played great tennis," Sabalenka told reporters. "The good thing is that I still have a chance to qualify. The bad thing is that I'll need some time to recover after I don't even know how many games in a row I lost."
The 28-year-old said Andreeva's ability to move effectively and generate heavy topspin makes her a difficult opponent regardless of the playing surface.
"She's not easy to play, on any surface. It's not only Indian Wells," Sabalenka said. "She's moving well, spinning the ball quite high, especially in this condition."
Despite the setback, Sabalenka can still reach the semifinals if she defeats Elina Svitolina in their final round-robin match Friday.
The Belarusian is making her sixth consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals. Her three titles this season include prestigious back-to-back victories at Indian Wells and Miami, although she has yet to add a Grand Slam trophy to her 2026 campaign.
Sabalenka insisted she remained determined to turn things around.
"Although the things didn't go well today, I'm still super motivated," she said.
Earlier Wednesday, Svitolina strengthened her chances of reaching the semifinals with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 comeback victory over Karolina Muchova.
The Ukrainian recovered from a difficult opening set to secure her first win of the round-robin stage, keeping her hopes of progressing alive.
Muchova initially dictated the contest, breaking Svitolina three times to take the opening set 6-3. However, the former world No. 3 gradually found her rhythm and changed the direction of the match through a more aggressive approach.
Trailing 2-1 in the second set, Svitolina won five consecutive games to level the contest and force a deciding set.
She maintained that momentum in the third, continuing to put pressure on Muchova before completing the comeback.
"I was not happy with the first set," Svitolina said. "I didn't play as well. I just made some adjustments, tactical adjustments."
Svitolina said becoming more aggressive was crucial after allowing Muchova to dictate the early exchanges.
"I think it helped me also to be more aggressive, because I was too passive in the first set," she added.
The 2018 WTA Finals champion had not returned to the prestigious season-ending tournament since 2019, making her latest appearance a significant opportunity to reestablish herself among the tour's leading players.
Muchova, however, saw her semifinal hopes end after suffering her second round-robin defeat. Combined with Andreeva's victory over Sabalenka, the result eliminated the Czech from contention.
