Sabalenka beats ‘future champion’ Mboko as Zverev joins elite company

Aryna Sabalenka described Victoria Mboko as a “future Grand Slam champion” after holding off the Canadian teenager to maintain her bid for a first Indian Wells title, but two-time winner Iga Swiatek went out.

Mboko pushed world number one Sabalenka hard in the opening set, but the Belarusian dominated the tie-break before finally cracking the 19-year-old’s serve in the fifth game of the second set on the way to a 7-6 (7-0) 6-4 win.

Sabalenka, a two-time runner up at Indian Wells, praised her opponent’s bravery and said she has “no doubt” Mboko is destined for great things.

“A future star, a future Grand Slam champion, no doubt about that,” Sabalenka said of Mboko.

“It’s incredible to see these young girls these days, how brave they are. They go out there, they go after their shots, they’re aggressive, they’re fighting.

“It’s incredible to see and for sure we are going to play many more matches in the future.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka will face 14th seed Linda Noskova in the semi-finals of the prestigious WTA 1,000 event, after the Czech ended Australian qualifier Talia Gibson’s run with a 6-2 4-6 6-2 victory.

Swiatek, champion at Indian Wells in 2022 and 2024, was beaten in three sets by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who will face Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina for a place in the final.

World number two Swiatek, who will drop below Rybakina in the rankings next week, was beaten 6-2 4-6 6-4.

Svitolina capitalised on a series of double faults to secure three breaks of serve and take the opening set in 38 minutes.

Swiatek responded to force a decider, but ninth seed Svitolina secured the only break in a tight third set before closing out the match to reach the semi-finals for the first time in seven years.

Alexander Zverev said it felt “very special” to become just the fifth player to reach the semi-finals of all nine ATP Masters 1,000 tournaments and join elite company after he booked his place in the last four at Indian Wells.

The German claimed a confident 6-2 6-3 victory over Frenchman Arthur Fils to reach the last four of the California-based tournament for the first time.

By completing the set of Masters 1,000 semi-final appearances, Zverev joins a club featuring only the ‘Big Four’ of the men’s game – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

“It’s very special to be one of five players in history to ever do it,” Zverev said.

“For sure, yeah, it’s something that I’m very proud of.”

Zverev has taken the title at five of the nine Masters 1,000 events, but he has never won a Grand Slam title despite reaching three major finals.

The fourth seed will have to snap a five-match losing streak against world number two Jannik Sinner if he is to move one step closer to the Indian Wells trophy.

Sinner, the reigning Wimbledon champion, sealed his own spot in the semi-finals with a rapid 66-minute 6-1 6-2 win against American Learner Tien.

The world number two, who is trying to become champion at Indian Wells for the first time, is also bidding for his first title of 2026 after a semi-final exit at the Australian Open and a quarter-final defeat in last month’s Qatar Open.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in the other men’s semi-final, after both players overcame British opponents.