Mirra Andreeva’s Wimbledon campaign came to a grinding halt on Wednesday evening.
Andreeva, who recently won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, was beaten in the second round of Wimbledon by Czech star Barbora Krejcikova.
How many Grand Slams does Mirra Andreeva win in her career? 🏆
Krejcikova, the 2024 champion in south-west London, defeated Andreeva 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 on Centre Court.
Andreeva appeared visibly upset on Wednesday, throwing her racket on court and later crying in front of the media.
Martina Navratilova, a nine-time Wimbledon singles champion, has offered her analysis of Andreeva’s defeat and her behaviour on Wednesday.
Martina Navratilova says Mirra Andreeva did not look at her coaching box once during defeat to Barbora Krejcikova
“It was really strange,” Navratilova stated on the Tennis Channel. “She never looked at Conchita [Martinez] or her box the whole match.
“She kept her back to them. She was playing really fast between points.
“Something happened because she was really yapping in the box the first match. Feeling the pressure, I think. And today, it was the other way. She was rushing the whole match. It went up and down. Krejcikova was up 3-0 in the first set, loses it. Then she’s up in the second.
“Anyway, it was going up and down and Andreeva kept it together, but was on the edge.
“She was starting to cry match points down, and then she comes back almost serves and gets back in the match. It was very peculiar.
“I’m not sure what’s going on in the camp, but she was not a happy camper.”
Andreeva captured her first major title last month, defeating qualifier Maja Chwalinksa in the final.
However, as Jim Courier correctly points out, winning Roland Garros is not usually indicative of success at Wimbledon.
“Look, generally speaking, winning the French Open is not really predictive of great results on grass,” Courier, a former world number one, stated. “They couldn’t be more opposite the surfaces.
“So to win your first there doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to carry great form.
“You’re going to carry great confidence, and in Sasha [Alexander] Zverev’s case, you’re going to feel a lot lighter because his expectations now have been met.”
Zverev, the world number three, also won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, beating 10th seed Flavio Cobolli in the championship showpiece.
“Andreeva is so young. Her career is so ascended,” Courier continued. “There’s going to be lots of bumps and bruises along the way. This was a bruising match, I think.
“But in reality, losing to Barbora on this surface shouldn’t surprise people. It really shouldn’t because Krejcikova is much more natural on this surface than Mirra.”
Mirra Andreeva’s Wimbledon record
- 2023 – Fourth round
- 2024 – First round
- 2025 – Quarter-finals
- 2026 – Second round
Courier is absolutely correct in his assessment of the matter.
Andreeva’s heavy topspin game is not particularly well-suited to the low-bouncing, fast surface that is grass.
Moreover, Barbora Krejcikova is an excellent grass court player, and a former Wimbledon champion.
Barbora Krejcikova’s next opponent
After defeating Hannah Klugman and Mirra Andreeva, Barbora Krejcikova will play compatriot Nikola Bartunkova in the third round.
Krejcikova, a two-time major singles champion, has never played the impressive Czech youngster before.
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Bartunkova, 20, has proven herself to be one of the brightest young talents on the Tour over the past few months.
The youngster has secured impressive victories against Madison Keys, Diana Shnaider and Elise Mertens.
She also reached the Birmingham Open final, where she was defeated by Filipino star Alexandra Eala.
