It was a rough day in Stuttgart for Mirra Andreeva, as the 17-year-old rising star suffered a surprising early exit in the round-of-16. World No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated the sixth seed in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, in just over an hour.
After an emotional first-round match against her older sister Erika Andreeva, who retired early in the second set due to a knee injury, Mirra admitted she had been feeling “super nervous.” Unfortunately, those nerves appeared to carry into her second match.
Despite breaking serve to open the match, Andreeva quickly lost momentum—dropping her own serve three times to lose the first set. The second set offered little improvement, as Alexandrova secured two more breaks to complete the upset in commanding fashion.
A Disappointing Stuttgart Debut
Andreeva’s much-anticipated debut at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix came on the heels of her stunning title runs in Dubai and Indian Wells, making her a headline draw for the tournament. But the transition to clay—and perhaps the emotional toll of playing her sister—seemed to rattle the teenager.
After her first match, Andreeva’s coach Conchita Martinez scheduled an impromptu practice session to help her relax and regain rhythm.
“When I left the court, she told me I’d have a practice in 25 minutes—if I wanted to,” Andreeva shared.
“It wasn’t because I didn’t play enough tennis, but because I was feeling super tight. We both felt I needed to hit some balls to loosen up and just relax. So mainly it was her call, but she knew I’d agree.”
Despite her early exit in Stuttgart, Andreeva remains one of the most exciting young talents on the tour. With plenty of the clay season still to come, she’ll be eager to regroup and reset.
