Following their singles successes at the previous two WTA 1000 tournaments, Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider have now secured the doubles title at the Miami Open presented by Itaú.
In an unseeded doubles final held in Miami on Sunday, Andreeva and Diana Shnaider triumphed over Cristina Bucsa and Miyu Kato with a score of 6-3, 6-7(5), [10-2]. Their victory came after 1 hour and 36 minutes of play, excluding a nearly six-hour rain delay.
This win represents the second and most significant WTA doubles title for both Andreeva and Shnaider. Their first title as a pair was at the WTA 500 Brisbane in January, and they also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year.
As of Monday, Andreeva and Shnaider are expected to rise to the No. 2 position in the PIF Race to the WTA Finals doubles rankings, second only to Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.
The Miami final featured three players who had previously won women`s doubles medals at the last Olympics at Roland Garros. Andreeva and Shnaider won a silver medal in Paris, while Bucsa earned a bronze medal with Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Bucsa and Kato`s strong performance in Miami marks a turning point in their season. Having started the year with a 0-5 record as a team, they achieved their first victory of 2025 in the first round here, and then continued their momentum by upsetting the top-seeded team of Siniakova and Townsend in the semifinals.
However, Andreeva and Shnaider prevented them from winning the title. Andreeva, 17, and Shnaider, 20, both top 15 singles players, fought hard to claim the championship.
Despite a nearly six-hour rain delay after just three games, Andreeva and Shnaider initially dominated the final, taking a set and a break lead at 6-3, 3-2.
However, Bucsa and Kato fought back, forcing a second-set tiebreak. Strong volleys from Bucsa and Kato allowed them to win the second set.
In the decisive match-tiebreak, Andreeva and Shnaider`s powerful rallies proved too strong. Shnaider`s lefty forehand in particular put pressure on their opponents, and Andreeva secured seven championship points at 9-2 with a forehand passing winner.
They only needed one of those points: a strong serve from Shnaider followed by a winning shot from Andreeva sealed their biggest title to date and propelled them near the top of the PIF Race standings.
More updates to follow…
Rupert Caldwell