WTA Berlin: Mirra Andreeva Slammed by Fans for Unsportsmanlike Behavior Amid Brutal Defeat

Mirra Andreeva, known as the “Russian rabbit,” entered the grass-court season riding high after a strong French Open. But a tough opponent quickly stirred old habits that unsettled fans. At Wimbledon 2023, her fiery aggression flared when she was penalized a point for throwing her racket and then refused to shake the umpire’s hand after losing to Madison Keys. She claimed the second racket toss was a slip, not intentional. Though she had learned to control her rage, the grass courts seem to awaken a temper fans thought she had tamed.

On Monday, June 16, the 18-year-old faced Magdalena Frech in the Round of 32 at the Berlin Open. During the first set, Andreeva lost momentum and showed cracks, giving Frech chances to capitalize. The Pole took the set 6-2 despite Andreeva’s best efforts.

Frustration boiled over as Andreeva smashed balls at the crowd and LED screens with her racket. This earned her a code violation and a warning from the umpire. After two hours and 11 minutes, Andreeva fell 6-2, 5-7, 6-0. It’s a tough loss for the rising star — but her on-court behavior? That’s not a first.

At the French Open, she showed similar aggression in her quarterfinal match against Lois Boisson, hitting the ball into the crowd and receiving a code violation. She had done the same during her 2023 French Open debut against Coco Gauff.

This season, Mirra Andreeva said that she was working with a psychologist to better control her rage. “My agent helped me connect with the sports psychologist,” she said, adding the sessions gave her “new tips” and “advices” on “how to work with my anger inside, what to do when I don’t feel great, how to maintain my level when I feel great, how to keep being me.” But it seems she’s struggling to follow that advice now — and fans are not happy.

Fans call out Mirra Andreeva for her on-court rage

On X, a user raised concerns about Andreeva’s quick temper in tournaments. They wrote, “It’s not the first time she’s behaved the way she shouldn’t….. i get that she’s young and was angry but c’mon learn how to control your emotions.” Unlike before, Andreeva officially turned 18 on April 29. Now ranked No. 7, with wins this season in Dubai and over Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells, the spotlight is brighter than ever. Yet, as another user mocked past excuses for her outbursts: “but don’t come for her, sHe’s jUsT a KiD!!!! ☹️🥺🫠😔”

Another fan called for tougher consequences: “Why never a code violation warning? If it was Iga the witchhunt would be all over the Internet.” They highlighted how former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek faced harsher backlash for similar moments of frustration. Swiatek drew criticism during her Indian Wells semifinal against Andreeva when she smashed a ball into the ground, narrowly missing a ball kid who raised their arms in defense.

One user offered perspective: “For real she should stop, also stuff like this is what is distracting her during the match.” They noted that Mirra, despite her success, admits her rage sometimes breaks her focus. Another fan added, “She just turned 18. In time she’ll learn to control these emotions better but 18 isn’t it.”

Many players older than Mirra Andreeva have shown similar aggression, earning backlash and code violations. But one fan warned, “She will have a burn out sooner or later. She is putting too much pressure on her shoulders with such a young age.” Andreeva has openly discussed the pressure she feels from high expectations.

She said earlier this year, “Now I feel some kind of pressure because people expect certain things from me. People say: ‘she will be number one, she will win Grand Slams, it will be great.'” To cope, she channels this pressure into anger, using it as motivation. “It’s easier for me to think that these people say this because they are probably scared of my style of play. It helps me step onto the court with some anger, not to prove to everyone that I can really do it, but to prove to myself that I am strong enough to handle the pressure and win these high-quality matches.”

Fans worry she might follow in the footsteps of players like Andrey Rublev, known for intense on-court outbursts. Rublev’s infamous moment came at Wimbledon 2024, where after missing a shot, he smashed his racket against his knee, causing bleeding and needing medical attention. Similar incidents happened at the ATP Finals and French Open. One fan sneered, “Classic Russian behaviour.”

Still, Andreeva has made progress controlling her emotions. She’s learning to cope with loss better, inspired by figures like LeBron James. She said, “I have to choose if I really want to commit on 100% and do my best and handle all the nerves and all the pressure that I felt, or I can just not give up but I can be not strong enough and let all those thoughts and pressure kill me. I chose to be 100% mentally today.”

As the grass-court season unfolds, time will tell if she learns from these mistakes. She’s conquered hard courts and clay, but grass remains a challenge. Her win rate on grass is only 60% (6 out of 10 matches), compared to 75.51% on hard courts and 79.78% on clay. Will Mirra Andreeva return with new moves and a calmer mind? Let us know what you think in the comments below!