Andreeva comes from a break down in both sets to beat Pegula and reach the WTA Finals final on debut
In their first meeting, a week after the ‘diva’ hot-mic episode, Mirra Andreeva beat Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4 in 85 minutes in Indian Wells. The 19-year-old, sure to be world No. 2 on Monday, has won all eight of her sets this week and will face Svitolina or Noskova on Sunday.
Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula, WTA Finals 2026 | © Gregory Bull / AP
Mirra Andreeva is one win away from the WTA Finals title at her first attempt. The 19-year-old Russian beat Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4 in 85 minutes in the first semi-final in Indian Wells on Saturday, coming back from a break down in both sets, and has still not dropped a set all week.
A week after being caught on a hot mic calling her “a diva”, Pegula congratulated Andreeva at the net at the end of their first meeting on the tour. In Sunday’s final, the Russian will face the winner of the second semi-final, between Elina Svitolina and Linda Noskova.
Twice behind, twice in control
Pegula struck first. She broke for 2-1 in the opening set, but Andreeva broke straight back on her third break point, at the end of a long game, then saved two break points to hold for 3-2. The Russian broke again for 5-3 on her second chance and served out the set after saving one more break point.
The second set followed the same pattern. Pegula broke for 3-1, before Andreeva won five of the last six games. She broke back from 0-40 in the next game, broke again for 4-3, and closed out the match on her first match point, serving at 5-4.
Andreeva converted four of her nine break points and won 77% of the points on her first serve (30 of 39). Pegula, who saved five of the nine break points she faced, served no aces and four double faults.
Eight sets out of eight, in Evert’s and Serena’s footsteps
Andreeva’s week has been flawless. After beating Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka, both 6-4, 6-0, she swept her group by beating alternate Diana Shnaider. In four matches, she has won eight sets out of eight and 48 games, dropping just 18.
That puts her in select company. She is only the fifth player to reach the final without dropping a set on her debut at the event, after Chris Evert and Kerry Reid in 1972, Lindsay Davenport in 1994 and Serena Williams in 2001, and the first to do so in the round-robin format.
At 19 years and 193 days at the start of the event, she is also the third-youngest finalist at the WTA Finals this century, according to Opta, behind only Maria Sharapova in 2004 (17 years and 205 days) and Kim Clijsters in 2002 (19 years and 151 days). And she is already sure to become world No. 2 on Monday, after Sabalenka’s elimination in the group stage.
Pegula, the 2022 runner-up, came through Group 1 on the narrowest of margins, after saving a match point against Noskova in her last group match.
