Aryna Sabalenka certainly didn’t look like her usual self as she suffered a nightmare loss to Mirra Andreeva at the WTA Finals.

Shortly after beating Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-0, Andreeva defeated Sabalenka by the same scoreline to secure her spot in the semifinals, joining Linda Noskova. The Russian needed just 62 minutes to stun the Belarusian, during which she won the final 11 games and 45 of the last 55 points.

What is Mirra Andreeva’s ranking by the end of 2027?

Andreeva is currently the world number three.

Andreeva can now make it three wins from three against Karolina Muchova, while Sabalenka will look to bounce back against Svitolina. In that upcoming challenge, she will very likely be eager to improve in one area following a very unusual display at the WTA Finals.

Aryna Sabalenka produces unusual serving display in loss to Mirra Andreeva

Sabalenka has been among the WTA’s top servers for some time now, with her ability in that area certainly no secret. In fact, she leads the entire WTA Tour for service points won in 2026 with a hugely impressive figure of 64.6%. The four-time Grand Slam champion is also in the top five for aces recorded, and the top two for service games won.

But such serving prowess really wasn’t on show against Andreeva. Of course, the Russian teenager deserves huge credit for how she performed, making it very difficult for her opponent to find any sort of momentum. But at the same time Sabalenka will be disappointed by underperforming in an area that she has historically thrived in.

For instance, the former world number one didn’t record a single ace in the match, while she also committed three double faults. Moreover, Sabalenka won 47% of her first serves and 31% of her second serves. In stark contrast, her opponent posted figures of 83% and 67% respectively. She won just 41% of her service points, again outclassed by the 77% of Andreeva.

Epitomising her below-par efforts, Sabalenka finished the match with eight winners and 23 unforced errors. Andreeva posted totals of 16 and six respectively. Fortunately, however, Sabalenka has an immediate shot at redemption at the iconic Indian Wells in California.

She and Svitolina will play for the second semifinal place from Group 2, and history is very much on the side of the Belarusian. They have met seven times over the years, with Sabalenka claiming six wins. Both very experienced players have beaten Muchova and lost to Andreeva at this year’s WTA Finals.