Iga Swiatek had a dramatic turn of events in Indian Wells. From nearly facing disqualification to a heated exchange with the chair umpire, her match against Mirra Andreeva was filled with controversy. What do you think went wrong for her?
Iga Swiatek’s semifinal exit at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells was filled with drama. The Polish star bowed out of the tournament on Friday, March 14, after a tough battle against Mirra Andreeva.
Swiatek entered the WTA 1000 event as the defending champion, having claimed the title twice—in 2022 and 2024. She showcased dominant performances on her way to the semifinals, securing convincing wins over Caroline Garcia, Dayana Yastremska, Karolina Muchova, and Zheng Qinwen.
However, her clash with Mirra Andreeva proved to be a different challenge. The 17-year-old displayed remarkable resilience, edging out Swiatek in a tight first set, 7-6(1). Although the Pole responded with a dominant second set, conceding just one game, she couldn’t maintain her momentum in the decider. The 23-year-old found herself on the back foot early, suffering a break in her opening service game.
As the match intensified, emotions ran high for Iga Swiatek, who grew visibly frustrated with herself and her team. At one moment, she forcefully smashed a ball to the ground after receiving it from a ball kid. The ball bounced sharply, causing the ball kid to flinch before it soared into the stands, near her team’s seating area.
a samaritana do tênis ai pic.twitter.com/kMjCWe9GOd
— lorena (@riverszdaya) March 15, 2025
Several tennis players, including Novak Djokovic, Miyu Kato, and Denis Shapovalov, have faced defaults in the past for accidentally striking staff members on court. Swiatek’s outburst at Indian Wells sparked controversy online, with many fans arguing that she narrowly avoided disqualification.
Later, at 3-1 in the third set during Mirra Andreeva’s service game, Swiatek rushed to the chair umpire, seemingly frustrated by the movement of ball kids, which she claimed was distracting her during her opponent’s serve.
Iga Swiatek was telling the umpire earlier that ball kids were moving around when she was waiting to receive Andreeva’s serve at 1-2 (30-30).
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) March 15, 2025
Umpire told her: “I am watching, I saw you holding your racket”
Andreeva hit a winner and held to 30, then went on to break for 4-1. pic.twitter.com/mtD1xvxVim
Andreeva maintained her composure, extending her lead and sealing the victory with a final score of 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3. With this impressive win, she advances to the Indian Wells final, where she will face Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday, March 16.
Iga Swiatek took her frustrations out on her team after Dubai loss to Mirra Andreeva
This isn’t the first time Iga Swiatek has shown frustration toward her team in recent weeks. Just last month, Mirra Andreeva claimed her first-ever victory over the five-time Grand Slam champion at the Dubai Tennis Championships..
Following her 6-3, 6-3 quarterfinal loss to the eventual champion, Swiatek visibly snubbed her coach, Wim Fissette, as he approached to console her.
— Madziol (@madziol127) February 20, 2025
At the Qatar Open, the three-time defending champion suffered her fifth consecutive defeat against Jelena Ostapenko. Frustration got the better of Swiatek during the match, leading to an uncharacteristic outburst as she angrily slammed her racket to the ground.
Now, she looks to regroup and refocus as she heads to the Miami Open, aiming to capture her second title there after her 2022 triumph.
