Iga Swiatek overcame a resilient Maria Sakkari to claim the Indian Wells title for the second time in her career. The Polish player was the champion in 2022 and now secured her 19th title, eighth WTA 1000 title, and second of the season.
The world No. 1 Swiatek arrived without dropping a set and conceding only 17 games in 5 matches (an average of less than 3.5 games per match). While Swiatek stormed through all her opponents, Sakkari had to battle through three-set matches in all but her third-round encounter against Caroline Garcia
Sakkari led the head-to-head by 3-2 and was displaying her best form in a long time, posing a challenge for Swiatek. Indeed, the first set was not easy for Swiatek. The 4-time Grand Slam champion started strong, winning 14 of the first 16 points and quickly taking a 3-0 lead.
However, Sakkari showed resilience, remained composed despite being behind on the scoreboard, and managed to level at 3-3 after breaking back. The former world No. 3 rose to the occasion by maintaining parity, but at 4-5, she had an inconsistent service game, conceding three set points to her opponent who ultimately sealed the set 6-4.
The third set was practically a monologue for Swiatek, who maintained her level and continued to dominate from the baseline, avoiding getting drawn into too many long rallies with the Greek player. Swiatek won 24 of the 29 points played in the second set, overwhelmed her opponent, and with three consecutive breaks, sealed the match 6-4, 6-0 to repeat her Indian Wells title triumph from 2022.
Unfortunately for Sakkari, she once again fell just short of a title, but Swiatek overcame a challenging moment and secured another WTA 1000 title, further extending her lead over Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the rankings.
