By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, March 9, 2026
Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty
INDIAN WELLS—Katerina Siniakova dethroned defending champion Mirra Andreeva with a cliffhanger winner that sent the eighth seed over the emotional edge.
On match point, Siniakova’s backhand crashed into the top of the tape and crawled over.
That fortuitous bounce sealed Siniakova’s wild 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 upset—and sparked an indignant diva departure from the 2025 champion.
Andreeva lost her crown then lost her cool.
An irate Andreeva flung her racquet before the post-match handshake.
As the Stadium 1 crowd roared, Andreeva appeared to tell the crowd “F–k You All!” as she walked off the court.
#Siniakova‘s stunning victory over the reigning champion Andreeva marks a monumental upset, continuing the 35-year streak of the title never being successfully defended at this tournament.#IndianWells#BNPParibasOpen#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/Y6SgO575Ou
— THE TENNIS TALK 🏆 (@AnalyticsTennis) March 9, 2026
Later, a veteran photographer who was in the photo pit for the end, told us he could clearly hear Andreeva curse and said her wrath appeared to be directed at a vocal Siniakova fan.
Siniakova, who raised both arms in apology after her net-cord shot dribbled over, said the strange conclusion was more a sense of relief than rejoicing.
“I mean, of course I’m happy it went on the other side,” Siniakova said. “I was, like, should I cheer
or should — no, it’s really tricky finish.
“Definitely I hit the backhand. I was like, oh, is it on the other side? Yeah, it was relief, you know, anyway. So no one wants to finish like this. I wanted to enjoy it, but definitely I will not say I’m not happy. I was happy it was on the other side.”
The strong-willed Siniakova battled for three-and-a-half hours subduing Leylah Fernandez 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 in round two that was the second-longest Tour-level match of the season.
Today, the world No. 44 toiled through two hours, 48-minutes of baseline fury in a match that featured 42 break points and 14 breaks of serve.
Siniakova’s staying power is a virtue: She scored her 11th career Top 10 win today and in her 11th BNP Paribas Open appearance reached the fourth round for the first time.
The 29-year-old Siniakova will face Australian Open semifinalist Elina Svitolina, who beat Ashlyn Krueger, 6-4, 6-2, for a quarterfinal spot.
As for Andreeva, while you have to cut her some slack as an emotional 18-year-old, she’s also got to maintain some sense of maturity on the court.
It was a distressing departure, particularly given how supportive Indian Wells fans were toward the teenager during her magical run to the 2025 title. Andreeva beat Elina Svitolina, Elena Rybakina, No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a stirring run to the Indian Wells championship.
Today, the red-hot cauldron of title defense pressure and emotional volatility saw Andreeva melt down after following that fluky match point. Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way, but true champions find a way to bounce back.
It’s a lesson Andreeva will likely learn as she continues to grow.