Defending champion Andreeva crashes out amid behavioral meltdown as Keys falls to Kartal
Sonay Kartal defeated Madison Keys 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday night and will face the winner of the match between Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, the No 28 seed, and Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the No 3 seed, in the next round
Mirra Andreeva, 2026 | © Mal Taam/CSM/Shutterstock
Mirra Andreeva and Madison Keys were both eliminated from the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday night following three-set defeats. The 18-year-old defending champion, Andreeva, lost her title defense to Kateřina Siniaková 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. Meanwhile, Englishwoman Sonay Kartal secured an upset victory over 15th seed Madison Keys with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 scoreline.
These were the two major upsets of the night in the women’s draw, on a day when Iga Swiatek, Elina Svitolina, and Jessica Pegula secured their spots in the fourth round. The most notable event of the evening saw Andreeva exit the court to a chorus of boos from the Indian Wells crowd after a series of emotional outbursts and racquet smashes during her collapse.
“f*** you all”
She appeared to shout “f*** you all” toward the spectators who began booing her behavior. “Well, of course I can say that there were a lot of emotions that I was going through after the loss,” Andreeva said when asked about swearing at the crowd. “But of course I’m not really proud of how I managed it in the end.” She explained that her frustration was directed toward everyone, including herself, and not specifically a part of the crowd. “It was to myself, to everyone, basically. I mean, after the loss, I just get very angry, so I say those things sometimes to myself.”
Andreeva expressed concern over a recurring pattern of losing matches despite holding significant leads. “Yeah, there were, I think, what, last three matches that I lost, I was, like, so up in the score, had a lot of opportunities, starting with the loss in Doha to Vicky (Mboko) (3-6, 6-3, 7-6), then to Amanda (Anisimova) in Dubai (2-6, 7-5, 7-6), now here.”
The defining element of Andreeva’s defeat was her inability to convert a massive lead during the second set. She led 6-4, 4-3 and held three break points to move within reach of victory. However, Siniaková utilized her doubles experience and “good hands” to claw back into the contest. Andreeva eventually led 5-4 in the second-set tie-break before losing the frame.
After Andreeva failed to capitalize on her break point opportunities in the second set, her composure evaporated. Siniaková remained steady in the third set to close out the match as Andreeva’s energy and focus continued to decline.
Andreeva : “Talk and see”
This collapse triggered a series of racquet smashes that left one fan, Rodrigo from San Antonio, with a destroyed souvenir signed by the victorious Siniaková, which he later shared on social media. Andreeva noted that her team would discuss how to handle these situations better. “We’re just gonna talk and see what is the best way to handle this, and we’re just gonna work and try to get better.”
Madison Keys’ loss was less frustrating by comparison. Keys played a dominant first set but struggled as the night air made the balls feel heavier. Kartal remained resilient and began dictating play with her forehand to tire the American veteran. The Englishwoman broke serve repeatedly in the final two sets to secure the win in 118 minutes. Keys noted that she was still trying to play as if the sun were up, while Kartal adjusted her tactics to the colder environment.
The 2025 Australian Open champion could only hail her opponent’s level. “I think she honestly just played really well, served really well, and I thought she used her forehand to dictate and move the ball around really well,” Madison Keys said after her loss.
The American felt that the drop in temperature impacted the playability of the court. “I feel like it got a little bit colder and started playing a little bit deader. I think she adapted a little bit better and started playing more heavy balls with her forehand.”
Kartal’s momentum
Keys also addressed her physical state following a quick return from injury. “It’s been a tough kind of couple weeks for me, trying to rehab and get ready as quickly as possible for here,” she remarked. Although her preparation was not perfect, she refused to use it as an excuse for the result. “Probably not the most perfect preparation that I would have wanted, but I felt like we did the best that we could. I mean, that’s definitely not why I lost today.”
Kartal enters the next phase with significant momentum after defeating two seeded Americans, Emma Navarro and Madison Keys, in consecutive rounds. These results clear the path for a new champion to emerge in the desert following the early departure of the 2025 winner.
Indian Wells 2026, women’s draw third round
Aryna Sabalenka (1) – J. Cristian: 6-4, 6-1
N. Osaka (16) – C. Osorio: 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
V. Mboko (10) – A. Kalinskaya (23): 6-4, 6-1
A. Anisimova (6) – E. Raducanu (25): 6-1, 6-1
A. Eala (31) – C. Gauff (4): 6-2, 2-0 (Retired)
L. Noskova (14) – S. Cirstea: 6[5]-7, 6-4, 6-4
T. Gibson – C. Tauson (17): 7-6[2], 4-6, 6-4
J. Paolini (7) – A. Tomljanovic: 7-5, 5-7, 6-1
J. Pegula (5) – J. Ostapenko (26): 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
B. Bencic (12) – E. Mertens (22): 6-2, 6-3
S. Kartal – M. Keys (15): 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
E. Rybakina (3) – M. Kostyuk (28): 6-4, 6-4
K. Siniakova – M. Andreeva (8): 4-6, 7-6[6], 6-3
E. Svitolina (9) – A. Krueger: 6-4, 6-2
K. Muchova (13) – A. Ruzic: 6-0, 6-3
I. Swiatek (2) – M. Sakkari (32): 6-3, 6-2
Indian Wells 2026, women’s draw fourth round schedule
Aryna Sabalenka (1) – Naomi Osaka (16)
Victoria Mboko (10) – Amanda Anisimova (6)
Alexandra Eala (31) – Linda Noskova (14)
Talia Gibson – Jasmine Paolini (7)
Jessica Pegula (5) – Belinda Bencic (12)
Sonay Kartal – Elena Rybakina (3)
Katerina Siniakova – Elina Svitolina (9)
Karolina Muchova (13) – Iga Swiatek (2)
