This has been a remarkable season for Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva. She flirted with elite status, winning back-to-back WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Indian Wells while hinting at future Grand Slam success with quarterfinal runs in Paris and London.
She has looked a different beast this year, armed with a more potent serve and crisper groundstrokes off both wings. A few months ago, her qualification for a maiden WTA Finals appearance looked to be little more than a formality. But poor form has seen her plummet in the Race to Riyadh standings, with bureaucracy potentially putting the final nail in the coffin of that dream. And I’m here to say that it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the out-of-form Russian.
A shock announcement
Andreeva- who currently sits 8th in the Race to Riyadh standings- shocked the tennis world when she announced she wouldn’t be playing in this week’s Pan Pacific Open, essentially gifting Jasmine Paolini a place in the season-ending showpiece. Early speculation suggested she could be injured while more recent reports confirm that she couldn’t organize the visa at the last moment. She was offered a wildcard into the event, but it was just too much of a logistical nightmare for a Russian to organize a visa into Japan at such short notice (she probably thought she would have qualified by now).
Rybakina’s chance
Andreeva’s decision has left the proverbial ball in Elena Rybakina’s court. The powerful Kazakh has surged in recent weeks, claiming last week’s Ningbo Open title to put herself withing touching distance of the elegant Russian. She just needs to progress to the semifinals of this week’s competition to leapfrog Andreeva in the rankings. It won’t be easy, as she will have to beat Leylah Fernandez in her opener (the Canadian won their last meeting in Washington). She will then need to beat either Victoria Mboko or Eva Lys to ensure qualification. My contention is that Andreeva might benefit from Rybakina stealing her WTA Finals place.
A blessing in disguise
I’m sure that Andreeva- or any Russian tennis fan for that matter- wouldn’t agree with my analysis. Reaching the WTA Finals is a rite of passage for any aspiring top player, and it would be a great honour for the Russian to achieve the feat at such a young age. But let’s just take a step back and review the Russian’s recent form. She has gone 4-5 since her Wimbledon quarterfinal run, losing all the momentum that she had in the midpoint of the season. She has also cut an increasingly dejected figure on court, prone to emotional outbursts in tight situations. In her Wuhan Open defeat to Siegemund, she was seen crying between changeovers and hurling expletives in Russian. I honestly think that she could do with an extended break going into next season (even if that comes at the risk of her WTA Finals spot).
A congested schedule
The WTA Tour has courted plenty of controversy this year, extending the duration of many of their mandatory WTA 1000 events. This has led to an even more congested schedule than before, resulting in more premature ends to the season than normal. Elina Svtiolina, Daria Kasatkina, Naomi Osaka, Emma Radacanu and Paula Badosa have all brought the curtain down on their seasons already. How many times have we seen emerging young players run themselves into the ground before? Andreeva’s body- and mind- are clearly telling her that a break is in order. Even if he were to qualify for the finals, a poor showing in Riyadh could instill a sense of imposter syndrome going into next season. Anisimova’s recent resurgence is a real testament to the restorative effects of taking some time to yourself. So, as I have said, perhaps this whole visa saga could end up being the best thing to happen to Andreeva since SW19.
