Iga Swiatek addresses abrupt Indian Wells loss for the first time with painful observation: "Mirra Andreeva has no big expectations"

Iga Swiatek addressed her 2025 Indian Wells campaign after crashing out in the semifinals against Mirra Andreeva. The Pole made a poignant observation, comparing herself to the teenager.

Andreeva put an abrupt stop to Swiatek’s Indian Wells title defense with a 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3 win on Friday, March 14. The Pole’s result came as a surprise considering she had eased past her previous opponents, conceding just 12 games across four matches.

This was Iga Swiatek’s second consecutive loss to Mirra Andreeva, having incurred a 6-3, 6-3 defeat in their Dubai quarterfinals less than a month ago. Just like her emotional exit in Dubai, the Pole had a few outbursts at Indian Wells and appeared overwhelmed by her performance on the court despite putting up a good fight. About her rollercoaster run at the WTA 1000 event, Swiatek told CANAL+ Sport:

"I’m happy with my early matches here. And today, I wouldn’t say I played badly—rather, I lacked courage in key moments," she said (Translated from Polish).

The 23-year-old indicated that unlike Mirra Andreeva, who’s just beginning to make her mark on the tour, she was fighting the pressure of expectations alongside their on-court battle.

"Mirra, on the other hand, played very freely, without pressure. You can see she has no big expectations and just swings freely at times. As for me… I can’t even remember the last time I had a match where I could just take risks, relax, and hit freely."

This is not the first time that Iga Swiatek has confessed to being overwhelmed by personal and public expectations. She voiced a similar concern after losing the Paris Olympic gold.

---

Iga Swiatek after Indian Wells loss to Mirra Andreeva: "When I try now, it feels desperate"

Iga Swiatek pictured at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells - Image Source: Getty

During the aforementioned interview, Iga Swiatek said that she lately finds her on-court decisions "desperate" instead of "calculated risks."

"When I try to do it now, especially in important moments, it feels more like a desperate move rather than a calculated risk," she said.

"It’s hard to explain to someone who doesn’t play tennis—it’s a mix of instinct, intuition, almost something metaphysical. But I’ll keep working on it so that in tense matches like this, I can be more consistent and find a way to turn things around."

About Mirra Andreeva’s game, Swiatek said:

"She definitely played better and probably braver in key moments. Of course, I remember a few shots I could have played better, but overall, I think it was a high-level match."

The Pole, who crushed Caroline Garcia, Dayana Yastremska, Karolina Muchova, and Zheng Qinwen with 6-2, 6-0; 6-0, 6-2; 6-1, 6-1; and 6-3, 6-3 scorelines, respectively, added:

"She definitely played better than my previous opponents," she added.

Swiatek also noted that she failed to find solutions in the windy conditions, something Andreeva did well, according to her.

"The wind played a big role—at times, it was hard to get out of difficult situations when she was hitting big with the wind, while I was playing against it."

"And when I had the wind on my side, I wasn’t always able to use it to my advantage—maybe I should have played more aggressively to balance things out."

Iga Swiatek is on the hunt for her first title since June 2024 (French Open). She'll soon turn her attention to the Miami Open after her Indian Wells exit. Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva faces Aryna Sabalenka in Sunday’s final for a chance at her second WTA 1000 title in as many months.