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Ousted Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva said she was “not really proud” of her reaction to exiting the WTA 1000 event on Monday.
World No. 44 Katerina Siniakova came from a set behind to complete a shock victory over eighth seed Andreeva. After Siniakova wrapped up the win with a fortuitous effort that hit the net cord and dribbled into Andreeva’s side of the court, the 18-year-old made her frustration visibly apparent.
Footage showed Andreeva throwing her racquet in the immediate aftermath of her 4-6 7-5(5) 6-3 defeat, before appearing to shout expletives in the direction of the crowd.
Speaking afterwards, Andreeva explained that the angry remarks were aimed towards herself rather than the spectators and regretted the manner in which she handled the defeat.
“I’m not really proud of how I managed it,” said Andreeva.
The former French Open semi-finalist added: “It was to myself, to everyone, basically. I mean, after the loss, I just get very angry, so I say those things sometimes to myself.
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“I mean, first to myself, of course, but then, yeah, it was just anger coming out, just a lot of emotions. Not really towards anyone.”
Andreeva – whose triumph in California 12 months ago marked her second WTA 1000 crown after also lifting the title in Dubai – appeared at her very best in the opening round of her title defence as she required less than an hour to dispatch Solana Sierra 6-0 6-0.
On Monday, though, her performance was far more tense. She came from a double-break behind to complete a brilliant comeback and take the first set, but failed to build on that momentum. In large part, this was because of her wayward forehand – not helped by the windy conditions.
Andreeva’s frustration was clear throughout the match. After succumbing to her opponent in the second-set tie-break, she threw and smashed her racquet, resulting in a code violation, while frequently complaining to her coaching box.
Ultimately, her tally of 75 unforced errors told the story of an uncharacteristic performance, for a player who is typically so astute from the baseline.
She said managing her temperament in moments of frustration is something she wishes to work on.
“Those are the things that [I] really need to work on soon,” Andreeva said. “I don’t know. Not in the future but whenever I get the chance. Yeah, I hope that I can work on it and I get better in that, as well.”
Speaking after the match, Siniakova spoke of the challenging conditions she felt both her and Andreeva struggled to grapple with.
“I think both of us were a little bit struggling against the wind, so we were kind of losing the games on that side and winning on the other side,” Siniakova said.
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“But, yeah, I was expecting her to go to my forehand. That’s what usually players do. So I was just happy I could, you know, return it well and get into the rallies, to the point, when I think I’m better.”
Andreeva is regularly in the conversation to be the next women’s star to win their first Grand Slam title. She has made a profound impact on the women’s tour since her breakout in 2023.
She reached the last 16 of this year’s Australian Open, where she was beaten by Elina Svitolina in straight sets.
Andreeva’s run to the semi-finals of the 2024 French Open remains her deepest run at a major tournament, while she also made the final eight in Paris and at Wimbledon last year.
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