Revenge has been a theme among players at this BNP Paribas Open. That’s not necessarily because of animosity towards opponents but instead the losing players simply wanting to put things right.

Iga Swiatek spoke about it ahead of her quarterfinal against Qinwen Zheng and Aryna Sabalenka did the same prior to her surprisingly lopsided semifinal against Madison Keys. Swiatek and Sabalenka got the desired effect versus Zheng and Keys, who handed them painful defeats at the Olympics and Australian Open, respectively.

Now it’s Mirra Andreeva’s turn to cite the word. “I'm gonna try to take a revenge, because I still have nothing to lose, and I feel like the match is going to be probably entertaining,” Andreeva said.

The 17-year-old prodigy meets Sabalenka in Sunday’s intriguing women’s final in the chillier than usual desert, having lost to the World No. 1 twice already this year. Overall, Sabalenka has the teen’s number like no other player. She holds a 4-1 record against Andreeva, with all four victories in straight sets, including at the Australian Open.

Andreeva did, however, down Sabalenka on a grand stage, at last year’s French Open in the quarterfinals. “The matches that we played this year didn't really go my way,” said Andreeva, who is sure to reach a new career high of No. 8 in the rankings no matter what happens.

“Yeah, I can say she almost killed me, especially in Melbourne. I will just go out there as for every other match and try to play my best and to fight for every point, and then we're gonna see who's gonna win.”

Andreeva’s confidence is surely the highest it has ever been, though, in her blossoming career. She carries an 11-match winning streak into the duel, rewriting the record books along the way. Andreeva in Dubai became the youngest winner of a WTA 1000 tournament since the series began in 2009 and is the youngest player since Kim Clijsters in 2001 to appear in the Indian Wells final.

If she wins, Andreeva creates more history — becoming the youngest champion since the legendary Serena Williams in 1999. Andreeva has toppled Swiatek, another Grand Slam winner, Elena Rybakina, and the surging Clara Tauson in back-to-back tournaments. If that trio had a little extra motivation facing Andreeva in Tennis Paradise — seeking that ‘revenge’ — they still couldn’t overcome her.

Swiatek had never before lost to the same player in back to back events. Andreeva’s combination of big ball striking — she ripped a 126 mph serve against Swiatek in Friday’s pivotal first-set tiebreak — counter punching and finesse made her a fan favorite, which has left her slightly puzzled.

“I don't know why, but I have a lot of people that are supporting me, and I don't know, something about United States is people are so energetic, and when I play a match and some people are supporting me, I just kind of feel their energy,” Andreeva said. “It kind of lights me up a little bit, and after, it's actually a bit easier to play, as well.”

Sabalenka knows the feeling of playing well in the US, too. In only one example, the bubbly 26-year-old bagged the US Open last year. She now wants to get her hands on the “beautiful trophy” in Indian Wells, two years after falling to Rybakina in the finale, when she hit 10 double faults.

Her own confidence must be soaring, since Sabalenka blew past Keys in 51 minutes to abruptly halt the Illinois native’s 16-match winning streak. “I was hungry,” said Sabalenka.
The Australian Open defeat, 7-5 in the third set of the final, left her “heartbroken.”

“I really needed some time to recover after that,” added Sabalenka, who hasn’t dropped a set in her five matches. “And if I would lose (Friday) again, it would get in my head and I didn't want that to happen. I was really focused.”

Keys’ win in Australia marked a rare blemish for Sabalenka in recent finals. She had won four straight. Andreeva, meanwhile, holds an 8-2 record in all of her professional finals, including at lower levels. Surprisingly — with how she is thriving on the pro tour — Andreeva lost her last four junior finals.

Yes, she could still be playing in the juniors.

When Sabalenka was asked if she felt more pressure heading into the final because of not wanting to lose to such a young player, the three-time major winner said Andreeva’s age didn’t matter. But she did address their gap in years.

“I passed this stage of thinking about the age of my opponent,” she said. “I still feel like I'm 18. It's just so awkward for me to think that I'm 26 and 27 this year, and she's 17 and is, like, just two years older than my sister. I look at my sister as a kid. I remember her being this
little baby. So I look at Mirra and think, ‘Oh, my God, I'm so old.’ Yeah, that's just crazy."

They’re both young and hungry — and they both want to win Sunday.