The Indian Wells tournament in California was full of unexpected results, leaving two players, Mirra Andreeva and Jack Draper, in the running for the ‘Sunshine Double’.
Few would have predicted that outcome at the start.
Despite strong competition and experienced players at the BNP Paribas Open, young talents Andreeva and Draper emerged as the stars, each winning $1.2 million and claiming significant titles on Sunday.
17-year-old Andreeva has been a rising star in women’s tennis since 2023 and has reached a new level this season. Following a fourth-round appearance at the Australian Open, she secured her biggest title at the Dubai Open, a WTA 1000 event, and entered the top 10. Her success continued at Indian Wells, where she defeated three Grand Slam champions on her way to victory. Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, only managed to win three games against her in the fourth round.
Her wins in the semi-finals against five-time major winner Iga Swiatek and in the final against world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka confirmed Andreeva’s arrival at the top of the game. In both matches, the young Russian player showed resilience, winning in three sets and dominating the final sets.
Andreeva is now the youngest player to win consecutive WTA 1000 titles since Martina Hingis in 1997. With a 12-match winning streak, she leads the tour with 19 match wins this season. While Andreeva mentioned she was ahead of schedule in her goals in an interview with ESPN earlier in the tournament, she welcomed her rapid success after her Indian Wells victory.
‘Maybe it’s happening fast, but I like it,’ she told reporters. ‘There is nothing bad that I can say about it. If it’s happening fast, I take it, you know. It’s not bad to win two tournaments in a row, so I’m really happy about that.’
Rising to a career-high ranking of No. 6, Andreeva aims to become the fifth woman to win both Indian Wells and Miami Open titles consecutively. Given her current form, it would be unwise to bet against her.
For 23-year-old Jack Draper from England, Indian Wells was his most significant career title. Having never gone beyond the quarter-finals at a Masters 1000 event before, he impressed everyone with consecutive victories.
After defeating teenage talent Joao Fonseca in his first match, Draper beat three American players (Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, and Ben Shelton) before upsetting the two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. In the final, Draper quickly defeated Holger Rune 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour.
‘Winning here means everything to me,’ Draper said after his victory. ‘I hadn’t really considered it until the final point. Before the match, you have all sorts of thoughts, doubts that you might lose.’
‘Overcoming those doubts and playing the final like I did makes it even more special. I’m very happy and proud of what I achieved this week.’
Draper, who only dropped one set throughout the tournament, reached a career-high ranking of No. 7. He aims to continue his success in Miami and become the eighth man, and the first since Roger Federer in 2017, to win both titles in the same season.
Novak Djokovic’s Current Form
It’s been a challenging period for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Following a difficult 2024 where he won Olympic gold but no tour titles, the 37-year-old hoped to rebound in 2025, but that hasn’t happened yet.
He reached the Australian Open semi-finals in January but had to retire due to a hamstring injury. He returned in Qatar a month later and lost in his first match. A video of him limping at an airport raised injury concerns, which he dismissed as an awkward moment after accidentally hitting his ankle. Despite arriving in Indian Wells in good spirits and claiming to be healthy, he lost his opening match to Botic van de Zandschulp in three sets. Djokovic cited issues with rhythm and court conditions but remained calm.
‘No excuses for a poor performance,’ Djokovic admitted. ‘It’s not a good feeling to play like this, but congratulations to my opponent. It was just a bad day for me.’
Djokovic is now the No. 4 seed in Miami, playing there for the first time since 2019. After a first-round bye, he is scheduled to face Hamad Medjedovic or Rinky Hijikata in the second round. Potential opponents later in the tournament include Alex Michelsen and Daniil Medvedev.
Djokovic has won Miami six times, but his last title was nine years ago, and his confidence may be slightly shaken. Will Miami be where he rediscovers his winning form, or will it add to his season’s concerns?
Iga Swiatek’s Concerns
This season has also been tough for Swiatek, at least by her high standards.
The 23-year-old world No. 2 reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open, Qatar, and Indian Wells, but has expressed frustration at not progressing further. The 2024 Indian Wells champion, who won five titles in the first half of last season, hasn’t won a title since the French Open nor reached a final since then.
During her semi-final loss to Andreeva at Indian Wells, Swiatek showed unusual frustration, hitting a ball into the ground and towards a ball kid. She later apologized on Instagram, regretting her behavior but also expressing surprise at the ‘harsh judgments’. She contextualized her frustration by mentioning the impact of a positive doping test and subsequent suspension in 2024, as well as criticism about her on-court emotions.
‘It’s not a healthy standard – considering that just six months ago, I felt my career was in jeopardy, spent weeks crying, and didn’t want to play,’ Swiatek wrote. ‘Today, after all that, I’m still processing those experiences.’
Swiatek realized in Dubai that regaining the top ranking soon was unlikely, which ‘deeply upset’ her. However, she thanked her fans and stated she would continue to aim high, even with setbacks, and would achieve her goals at her own pace.
Like Djokovic, Swiatek will look to reset in Miami. She won in 2022, completing the Sunshine Double, and remains capable of deep tournament runs despite her struggles. Her openness might be the catalyst for her first title in 2025.
It won’t be easy. Madison Keys, who beat her in Melbourne, Karolina Muchova, and Jelena Ostapenko are in her quarter, with Andreeva a potential semi-final opponent. Swiatek may find relief when the season shifts to clay courts soon, which could be a turning point for her.
Veterans’ Performance
With the rise of young players like Andreeva and Draper, unexpected winners like Keys at the Australian Open, and Jannik Sinner’s absence, this season is unpredictable. Only Andreeva and Keys have multiple women’s singles titles in 2025, and Felix Auger-Aliassime is the only man with two titles so far.
Experienced top players like Swiatek have shown flashes of brilliance but lack consistency. Sabalenka won in Brisbane but lost finals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Alcaraz lost in the Australian Open quarters but won Rotterdam before losing in the Indian Wells semi-finals.
Alexander Zverev, the top seed in Miami, lost early in Indian Wells after reaching the Australian Open final. Medvedev, the No. 7 seed in Miami, reached the Indian Wells semi-finals but then lost to Rune after a second-round exit at the Australian Open.
Other tournament winners include Belinda Bencic (Abu Dhabi), returning from maternity leave, and Denis Shapovalov (Dallas).
This season has been surprising. Miami will test if top players can reassert dominance before the clay season. Will the established order return, or will unpredictability continue?
American Players in Miami
Despite a strong start at Indian Wells, Asia Muhammad was the only American winner, taking the doubles title. Keys reached the semi-finals, and Shelton the quarter-finals, for the best US men’s result.
Top-ranked Americans Fritz and Coco Gauff had early exits in the fourth round.
However, Americans often perform better in Miami, where many live and train, benefiting from the hot and humid conditions.
Gauff, from Delray Beach, loves these conditions but has never gone beyond Miami’s fourth round. She aims for a better result with local support.
Florida’s Danielle Collins, the defending champion, seeks to retain her title and ranking points after reaching Indian Wells’ third round.
Jessica Pegula reached Miami’s quarter-finals in 2024 and has since had strong results. Emma Navarro, a recent title winner, aims for a significant victory. Amanda Anisimova, a Qatar Open winner, can beat anyone at her best.
For the men, Fritz seeks to rebound after a slow start. Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Sebastian Korda are also contenders. John Isner was the last American man to win Miami in 2018.
