After her surprising exit, Mirra Andrejewa gives free rein to her frustration. The 18-year-old Russian throws her racket away and picks a fight with the audience.
For tennis star Mirra Andrejewa, hopes of successfully defending her title at the WTA tournament in Indian Wells were dashed early on. The 18-year-old Russian lost to Czech Katerina Siniakova in the third round 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 3-6 and gave free rein to her frustration. The end was extremely bitter for the favorite. In the deciding point, the ball got caught on the edge of the net after a shot by the unseeded Siniakova and then fell out of reach into the opponent’s court. Andreeva angrily threw her racket away, while the winner raised her hands apologetically.
As she left the arena, Andreeva got into an argument with the audience. The spectators booed the young Russian, who gestured wildly and, according to unanimous reports, is said to have shouted “F*** you all.”
Tennis: Russian comments after outburst
Later, Andreeva showed some remorse. “I’m not really proud of how I handled it in the end,” she admitted at the press conference after her defeat. “Those are the things I really need to work on soon. Not in the future, but whenever I get the chance.”
The final scenes of the match also preoccupied the victorious Siniakova: “Of course, I’m glad the ball went to the other side,” said the Czech. “I wondered if I should cheer. It’s a really tricky ending. But I’m definitely not unhappy.”
Alcaraz struggles: “I was a little angry at first”
Carlos Alcaraz extended his winning streak at the Men’s Masters with some difficulty. The world number one from Spain defeated France’s Arthur Rinderknech 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-2 in the third round, giving the Australian Open champion his 14th victory in 14 matches in 2026.
“At first I was a little angry with myself because I had so many chances in the first set, several break points, a set point, and I couldn’t capitalize on them,” Alcaraz said. “But I’m really happy with how I handled everything.”
World number three Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated US professional Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. His opponent scored 16 aces. Alexander Zverev will face Frances Tiafoe (USA) on Tuesday in Indian Wells, California.
