World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka Reaches Her First Final Of 2025 Season In Brisbane
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Aryna Sabalenka denied Mirra Andreeva a WTA 500 final at the 2025 Brisbane International with a very solid performance.
These two players met already for the fourth time, and while the 17-year-old prodigy already had a one win against Sabalenka, it came during a match in which the Belarusian player wasn't 100% healthy.
Still, the teenager likely believed she could repeat that in Brisbane, having played a great tournament to reach the semi-finals. But Sabalenka showed why she's the World No. 1 player on the WTA Tour.
Andreeva had a better start to the match. She created three break-point chances on her opponent's serve already in the first game of the match, but she couldn't convert any of those chances, which would later come back to haunt her.
Although the Russian player held her serve easily, she, again, couldn't convert a break point at 3-3. Already in the following game, that came costly, as Sabalenka used her first and only break point of the opening set to lead 5-3.
Andreeva worked her way to yet another break point, but again, she failed to convert it. Having five break points and failing to use any of them ultimately cost the 17-year-old player the first set, as Sabalenka used her third set point to win it 6-3.
In the second set, Andreeva's break point struggles continued. The Russian player had the first chance to break after easily holding in her first service game, but she couldn't use it again.
Once again, she was punished for it. In the following game, Sabalenka broke, leading already 2-1 with a break in the second set. She was facing two break points already in the following game, as Andreeva was threatening to break back.
But the top seed miraculously held again, leading 3-1 in the first set. Not using eight break point chances, with the match slipping out of her hands, certainly impacted Andreeva, as she couldn't challenge her opponent in the remainder of the match.
Sabalenka broke her opponent's serve one more time to win the match 6-3, 6-2, reaching the 2025 Brisbane International final. Her final opponent will be Polina Kudermetova, who made it into the main draw through the qualifying.
After the semi-final match, Sabalenka was asked about Andreeva, and she had only words of praise for the teenager. The three-time major winner also joked that she wouldn't give her any advice during her playing career, likely being aware that Andreeva could once become her main rival.
"I’ll give my advice to her when I retire. Right now I’ll just let her do her thing. She’s doing the right things. She has a great team around her, family around her, amazing coach."
"I couldn’t recommend her anyone better than her [Conchita Martinez]. I think she’s on the right path and definitely the future of tennis. She's moving well, serving great, hitting pretty decent shots. She’s gonna be there very soon."
