Mirra Andreeva Makes Feelings Clear on Elina Svitolina After Handshake Snub at WTA Finals
Mirra Andreeva debuted with a win at the WTA Finals against Elina Svitolina, and the 19-year-old was just focused on what happened on the court. Andreeva concluded the match in just 71 minutes, with a bagel in the second set. Despite all the noise in the past week regarding the group photoshoot snub and them not going to shake hands after the match, the Russian was not bothered by that.
After a commanding victory, when she was asked about the match, Andreeva had nothing but respect in her words.
“Honestly, all I was trying to think about was that she beat me in Australia earlier this year,” she said in the on-court interview. “I really tried not to think about the match we had last year on these courts.”
“Me and Conchita tried to prepare our best for this match. Of course I remember how I was playing when I beat her here, but I knew it would be a tricky match. She’s an amazing player. So I’m just very happy I was able to get through the match.”
In line with Svitolina’s long-standing stance, the pair did not shake hands at the net. The same stance has been at the centre of a week of discussion in Indian Wells, after the WTA replaced its traditional group photo with individual portraits and speculation pointed towards the players in this group.
Andreeva has always handled the situation without fuss. During their first meeting in 2025 at Indian Wells itself, she had said that she did try to think about it and focused only on her own game. Monday’s comments struck the same calm, respectful tone.
Andreeva did not leave any room for Svitolina. The 19-year-old had begun nervously in her debut match, saying she felt Monday’s comments struck the same calm, respectful tone. Even so, she broke in the fifth game of the opening set and saved a break point while serving it out. From there, she did not drop another game.
The Russian won 88 percent of her first-serve points, compared with 54 percent for Svitolina, and won all six of her trips to the net. She hit 15 winners to Svitolina’s nine, and the Ukrainian could not convert any of her six break point chances. A result like that in the first group match sets up the rest of her week perfectly.
Andreeva now faces Aryna Sabalenka with a semifinal place in sight
The win was just her second victory over a top-10 player this season for Andreeva, but her 51st win of 2026. She had claimed their first match-up 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells in 2025, on her way to the title. Svitloina got her redemption at this year’s Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-4 win in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January. This time, the 19-year-old did not leave any room for doubt.
Her numbers this year explain why she is a contender instead of a newcomer. Andreeva won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, climbed to a career-high No. 3, and is the youngest player in the field. She is the first teenager to play the WTA Finals since Coco Gauff in 2023. She is also the youngest player to reach 50 wins in a season since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009.
The win puts her level with Aryna Sabalenka at the top of Group 2. Sabalenka opened her campaign by beating Karolina Muchova 7-6(2), 7-5 in an hour and 53 minutes, recovering from a break down twice in the first set and needing a second attempt to serve out the match.
Andreeva and Sabalenka meet next, on Tuesday, with the winner moving to the brink of the semifinals. Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 4-2. The desert has also been kind to Andreeva before, as she won her second match against the Belarusian at the 2025 Indian Wells final.
Meanwhile, Svitolina faces a crucial match against Muchova. The Ukrainian made her first appearance in the WTA Finals since 2019, and there’s not a lot of room for error left for her now.
