Former world No 1 Dinara Safina has questioned whether Mirra Andreeva is “making mistakes on purpose” after the teen star slumped to a three-set defeat at the Miami Open.
World No 10 and eighth seed Andreeva reached the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event in Miami, before tasting defeat to tenth seed and close friend Victoria Mboko on Monday afternoon.
After dropping a tight opening set, the 18-year-old responded well and broke in the final game of the second set to force a decider, though then fell away significantly in a 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-0 loss to her Canadian opponent.
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Andreeva appeared visibly frustrated during the opening set, and her defeat continued a tricky patch of form, with the 18-year-old not seemingly at her best during the opening months of 2026.
The Russian lifted the Adelaide International title back in January, though was then beaten in the fourth round of the Australian Open by Elina Svitolina, and then fell early in her title defences at the Dubai Championships and Indian Wells.
Andreeva drew a particularly frustrated figure during her Indian Wells round-three loss, and her on-court emotional control has been questioned since an overall downturn in form since last summer.
And, former world No 1 and three-time Grand Slam finalist Safina has now questioned whether her compatriot is entering the court in the right mindset.
Speaking on the Best Tennis Podcast, in quotes reported by Championat, Safina questioned whether Andreeva was intentionally committing unforced errors to send a message to her team.
She said (translated from Russian): “I was watching the third set and saw Mirra break and win the second set.
“She [Andreeva] called for physio… I basically thought she was about to start a super third set because Mboko was a bit down after losing the second set, but it was a very strange start.
“You know, I was surprised by how lacking that composure was. How composed she was in breaking the second set to win it, and how focused she was in the third set… Correct me if I’m wrong, but sometimes Mirra’s mistakes seem emotional.
“I can’t say she’s doing anything wrong, but she makes mistakes… I get the feeling she’s making mistakes on purpose. That’s how it looks from the outside. I could be wrong, but it feels like after every mistake she wants to turn back to her box and say: ‘Look, see, I made a mistake!’”
Andreeva reached a career-high of world No 5 last summer, following her runs to her first WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells in 2025.
The 18-year-old also reached back-to-back quarter-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2025, though has only reached one quarter-final at either Grand Slam or WTA 1000-level since then.
Safina further questioned whether Andreeva was capable of handling the expectations put on her, following her fast rise up the WTA Rankings since her breakthrough at the 2023 Madrid Open.
“I don’t know what Mirra’s going through right now, of course. I can only guess — she can’t handle the pressure,” added the former world No 1.
“When Anya [Chakvetadze] and I record the podcast, we talk a lot about how players’ desire to quickly reach the top, second, or third rankings in the world, to win a Grand Slam — it’s a colossal burden.
“They might not be able to handle it. You have to be prepared for everything, and when this weight of responsibility hits them, when they start demanding victories and expectations, they immediately say, : ‘What are you demanding of us? What do you expect from us?’
“But that’s part of your job, your profession. It’s normal that you have a certain rating, and advertisers, coaches, people, your fans demand or expect results from you.”
Andreeva is currently set to return to action at the Women’s Stuttgart Open, with the world No 10 joining the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Iga Swiatek on the entry list.
It will be the first clay-court tournament of 2026 for the 18-year-old.
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