Mirra Andreeva stated she is “not a champion” and would “choke” throughout the closing set of her Madrid Open match in opposition to Hungary’s Anna Bondár — earlier than securing victory two video games later.
Andreeva, the world No. 8 from Russia, had misplaced a 5-1 lead within the third set to path Bondár 6-5 when she sat down at a change of ends. Looking at her field, together with coach Conchita Martínez, Andreeva stated: “I’m not a champion, I’m not a champion. I will lose. I will lose. I choke.” She then stated, “I don’t want anything,” showing to recommend she didn’t need reassurance from her crew.
Andreeva managed to carry serve, enjoying much more freely and aggressively from behind than she did when she was forward, earlier than pinching the tiebreak 7-5 in opposition to the world No. 63 to safe an up-and-down 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(5) victory.
She gained it by going for broke with a backhand winner down the road on her second match level, having squandered the primary with a drop shot too early within the level that hit the underside of the online. Despite being up 5-1, Andreeva by no means held a match level within the third set till the tiebreak.
The win ensures a spot within the Madrid Open quarterfinals for the third straight 12 months, and continues an improved run of type for Andreeva, who turns 19 on Wednesday. She gained the Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open in the course of April, earlier than reaching the semifinals of the Stuttgart Tennis Grand Prix the next week. The remainder of 2026 had been more durable for the prodigiously gifted participant, who has unraveled on the courtroom on a number of events.
After exiting the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif., final month, the place she was the defending champion, Andreeva stated “f— you all, f— you all” as she left the courtroom. After the match, a third-round defeat to Kateřina Siniaková, Andreeva stated in a information convention: “I’m not really proud of how I managed it. I’m not really proud of how I handled it in the end. Those are the things that really need to work on soon. I don’t know. Not in the future but whenever I get the chance.” She added that the insult was “to myself, to everyone basically.”
It was an uncomfortable however not remoted incident. During the previous couple of months, Andreeva had steadily appeared despondent mid-match, with defeats pockmarked by bouts of self-flagellation, tears and racket smashes, even throughout innocuous moments.
Having did not serve the match out twice in opposition to Bondár, it appeared as if this might be one other such loss, however as a substitute Andreeva was capable of compose herself and reset sufficiently to say a powerful victory within the circumstances. She subsequent faces Canadian No. 24 seed Leylah Fernandez within the quarterfinals Tuesday.
