Indian Wells LIVE: Rybakina joins Sabalenka in the final after beating Svitolina

[p][b]09:35 CET -[/b] What a women's final we have in store on Sunday, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a] prepare for a rematch of their Australian Open final earlier this year.[/p][p]Before that, it's men's semi-final day tomorrow, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/alcaraz-garfia-c-UkhgIFEq/medvedev-d-O8qG0Nhb/?mid=AXTmu2E7"]Carlos Alcaraz facing Daniil Medvedev[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=zLbbDw77"]Jannik Sinner coming up against Alexander Zverev[/a] in a pair of blockbuster clashes.[/p][p]We'll be back with a new Tennis Tracker for those matches at around [b]19:00 CET[/b], so make sure you keep an eye out for that![/p][embed guid="f1ab7b59-20a8-4543-b017-245d8325984a" url="https://x.com/BNPPARIBASOPEN/status/2032668266322362853" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]04:00 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a] qualifies for the final of Indian Wells after getting past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/svitolina-e-jyngIesG/?mid=84LSngGG"]7-5, 6-4[/a]. The world number three, who will move up a place after this week, won 78% of her first serve points. She managed to get over the line after losing her serve at 5-2. In the end, she holds on and will face Aryna Sabalenka in a final for the second time in 2026.[/p][embed guid="c43399b1-416d-4384-9fd7-b41a45f8763b" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2032652961927532751?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]03:05 CET - [/b]The first set of the second semi-final goes [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a]'s way as the third seed leads [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/svitolina-e-jyngIesG/?mid=84LSngGG"]7-5[/a]. The Kazakh went down early, but immediately broke back. At 5-5, Svitolina served a pair of double faults on game point, allowing her opponent to break and serve out the set.[/p][p][b]02:00 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/svitolina-e-jyngIesG/?mid=84LSngGG"]The second semi-final[/a] is about to start between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a], with the winner moving onto Sunday's final. Both players are now on the court, meaning play will commence very soon.[/p][p][b]01:35 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] is the first finalist of this year's Indian Wells after she saw off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/noskova-l-zHMiAkw6/sabalenka-a-vyhksgUB/?mid=CKrWRxM0"]6-3, 6-4[/a] in just under 90 minutes. Winning 74% of her first serve points, the world number one served a total of 11 aces en route to locking down her third appearance in the final of the tournament. [/p][embed guid="7372eb38-12eb-491e-bf32-38f9a592563a" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2032617573846557028?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]00:45 CET - [/b]The first set goes [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a]'s way as the tops [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/noskova-l-zHMiAkw6/sabalenka-a-vyhksgUB/?mid=CKrWRxM0"]6-3[/a]. The world number one served six aces, breaking her opponent's serve twice in the opening set. Sabalenka is now one set away from making it to the final in the desert once again.[/p][p][b]00:00 CET - [/b]The players are on the court as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a] are about to get the first semi-final underway.[/p][p][b]23:00 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a] has been the best player in the world in 2026, winning the Australian Open at the start of the year, and now following that up with a run to the semi-finals at Indian Wells.[/p][p]The champion in 2023 has had a tricky route to the last four, battling past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baptiste-hailey/Cjagsdf4/"]Hailey Baptiste[/a] before defeating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostyuk-marta/8CZqQdSa/"]Marta Kostyuk[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kartal-sonay/nFb01JTe/"]Sonay Kartal[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pegula-jessica/KdojxrAR/"]Jessica Pegula[/a] without dropping a set.[/p][p]Like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Sabalenka[/a], she has been serving extremely well, and with her win over Pegula in the quarter-finals, she officially reached a career-high ranking of second in the world, demonstrating the form she has been in for a while.[/p][image alt="Rybakina route to semi-final" id="2cc26a6a-a558-4614-a871-0ba34dcb452b" credit-line="ČTK / AP / Mark J. Terrill / Flashscore" guid="6525dafe-b0f2-4001-85e9-6d13b332edf6" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]If she wants to add to her two WTA 1000 titles, she will have to find a way past another really in-form player.[/p][p]No player has won more matches than [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a] in 2026 (19), and she has reached at least the semi-finals of every event she has played in this year.[/p][p]The Ukrainian overcame [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/siegemund-laura/ETkoNgxJ/"]Laura Siegemund[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/krueger-ashlyn/O81eud9p/"]Ashlyn Krueger[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/siniakova-katerina/OKXs3Wah/"]Katerina Siniakova[/a] before claiming a stunning three-set win over two-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a] in the quarter-finals.[/p][image alt="Svitolina route to semi-final" id="10ad9001-f38f-477b-8230-4d82976c8a6d" credit-line="MATTHEW STOCKMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP / Profimedia / Flashscore" guid="5ade30a4-fa77-4f90-a561-c4c19c3bd70c" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Svitolina has won four WTA 1000 titles, but her last one came all the way back in 2018, while this is her first appearance in the Indian Wells semi-final since 2019.[/p][p]According to Opta, Svitolina has become the player with the longest gap (seven years, 2019-2026) between her first two semi-final appearances in Indian Wells since the tournament’s introduction in 1989, equalling Na Li (2007-2014). [/p][p]The head-to-head is locked at 3-3 with Svitolina winning their last meeting in Madrid last year. However, their last meeting on a hard court came all the way back in 2021, so there isn’t too much to take from that.[/p][image alt="Rybakina - Svitolina H2H" id="4fb2d455-373d-46b1-b5f7-d5531699c338" credit-line="Profimedia / Flashscore" guid="44155541-0cf0-4eee-bf5e-fbce507c4d4a" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Rybakina will be the favourite considering her phenomenally clean ball striking, and could be too strong for her opponent. Yet Svitolina’s fighting spirit and counterpunching won’t make it easy.[/p][p][b]22:00 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] has been utterly imperious this week in Indian Wells, not dropping a single set and only being broken once en route to her third semi-final here, reminding everyone why she is the best player in the world and the tournament favourite.[/p][p]According to Opta, since the introduction of WTA 1000 events in 2009, only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvitova-petra/0vypNf1t/"]Petra Kvitova[/a] (10, 2011-2020) has made semi-finals in more consecutive seasons than Aryna Sabalenka (nine, 2018-2026).[/p][p]However, despite her dominance on the WTA Tour in recent years, Sabalenka has often struggled to get over the line in finals, like in the showpiece event last year in California, when she fell to Mirra Andreeva.[/p][image alt="Sabalenka route to the semi-final" id="2624e1da-0eb9-45ee-8134-e7b0d9006e51" credit-line="CLIVE BRUNSKILL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP / Profimedia / Flashscore" guid="e1a9f9ea-7ddf-4b37-861a-0df90c5e96ed" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]She will be desperate to get the better of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a] to give herself another opportunity to win a maiden Indian Wells title, and add to her collection of nine WTA 1000 crowns.[/p][p]Sabalenka has defeated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sakatsume-himeno/zZoU3kJa/"]Himeno Sakatsume[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cristian-jaqueline/vo9FVe2A/"]Jaqueline Cristian[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osaka-naomi/MDM4BKiA/"]Naomi Osaka[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mboko-victoria/AqVez8TJ/"]Victoria Mboko[/a] to get to this stage, without really being troubled.[/p][p]Meanwhile, Noskova is in just her second WTA 1000 semi-final, and her first in California. She has seen off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bouzas-maneiro-jessica/Gj20DdaG/"]Jessica Bouzas Maneiro[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cirstea-sorana/fBPsm3Iq/"]Sorana Cirstea[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gibson-talia/8GwNXON6/"]Talia Gibson[/a] to get here.[/p][image alt="Noskova route to the semi-final" id="89cb0341-1097-4d83-8c6e-e716a673cf40" credit-line="ČTK / AP / Mark J. Terrill" guid="5e27b5a6-f389-4c13-b7cf-b7c3ef66147d" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]She is the massive underdog against Sabalenka, but should she triumph in what is sure to be a huge-hitting contest between two big ball-strikers, she will climb up to a career-high ranking of 11th in the world.[/p][p]Sabalenka came out on top in their only other meeting in the Adelaide final in 2023. However, both players have improved tenfold since then, so it is unlikely to mean much.[/p][p][b]21:00 CET - [/b]It is women's semi-finals day at Indian Wells, with two exciting clashes to look forward to as we get closer to finding out who will lift this prestigious trophy.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/noskova-l-zHMiAkw6/sabalenka-a-vyhksgUB/?mid=CKrWRxM0"]The first semi-final gets underway at 00:00 CET[/a], as world number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a], who lost in the final last year to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andreeva-mirra/lI6fOOat/"]Mirra Andreeva[/a], continues her quest for a maiden title in California, when she takes on Czech 14th seed, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a].[/p][p]It is sure to be a huge-hitting contest between two players not afraid to smoke the ball, with Noskova appearing in just her second WTA 1000 semi-final but is yet to win one, while Sabalenka has nine 1000 titles to her name.[/p][embed guid="592902c1-fde9-4b03-93f3-e9b8ab03cc7b" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2032280223232786508" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/svitolina-e-jyngIesG/?mid=84LSngGG"]The second semi-final[/a] sees two massively in-form players, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a], go head-to-head.[/p][p]2023 champion Rybakina won the Australian Open at the start of the year and has been the best player in the world in 2026. As a result of reaching the semis here, she has moved up to a career-high ranking of second in the world.[/p][p]Svitolina is back in the Indian Wells semi-final for the first time since 2019, and has enjoyed a stunning year so far. The Ukrainian won the title in Auckland, reached the Dubai final, as well as the semis at the Australian Open and here in California.[/p][p]Stay tuned for a more detailed preview of both semi-finals ahead of the start of play![/p]