The finals are set! We have two fierce competitors hungry for the title. On one corner we have Iga Swiatek, the young polish upstart, while in the other corner we have the “never say die” and big ball of energy Maria Sakkari. Who has the edge?

Fresh off her win at the Qatar Open, Iga Swiatek is peaking just at the right time. I wouldn’t say that Iga’s reults have been ordinary by any means. However, they haven’t been anywhere close to the level she showed us when she captured the 2020 French Open. In Paris, she ran away with the title unseeded and without dropping a set. After a couple of years of solidifying herself in the top ten, but without adding another major title, she is now showing us that dominance that so many of us saw at the 2020 French Open. 

Not only did she capture the Qatar Open in style, ripping through a draw that included top talent such as Anett Kontaveit and Maria Sakkari, but she cleaned them out in straight sets. Her great form now continues with an impressive run to the Indian Wells Final. She took out quality players like Simona Halep, Angie Kerber and Madison Keys to get to this point. She’ll be tough to beat. She looks inspired and on a mission. 

Maria Sakkari is due for a breakthrough. It appears the 2022 Indian Wells tournament may very well be that breakthrough. Sakkari is one of those players that seems to play a great until she gets to a quarterfinal or a semifinal at a big tournament. Not anymore. With renewed belief, she’ll give Swiatek all she can handle. She showed she can handle power and pace, taking out defending champion Paula Badosa. Before that, she took out some exceptionally clean hitters in Rybakina and Kvitova. Swiatek is a different kind of player though. It won’t be easy for Sakkari. Swiatek has the edge on this one. She may prove too tough for Sakkari.