Article by Maria Olteanu – Published Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 3:25 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 3:26 p.m.
Mirra Andreeva (18 years old, ranked 8th in the world) ended the match with Anna Bondar (28 years old, ranked 63rd in the world) in tears, unable to control her nerves and frustration felt at certain moments of the duel won in three sets, after a hellish fight, score 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (5).
“It literally smells like shit in there…seriously, something really bad,” she fumed in the second set at 2-2. The tension grew as time went by and the pressure became more and more on the shoulders of the Russian, who had trouble managing the complicated moments in the match.
During the match against Bondar at the Masters tournament in Madrid, Andreeva suffered a terrible emotional breakdown, which she later spoke about at the conference, trying to explain how she handled those moments.
Mirra Andreeva on tricky moments in Madrid: “I felt I was forcing the game”
“In the first set, I wasn't very aggressive. I was aggressive, but at the same time I was waiting for her mistakes and I wasn't really looking for my shots, so I think that's why things weren't going my way. All in all, I'm very happy with my game.
Especially in the second set and to a certain point in the third, he was very good. I was trying to play aggressively, build the point, steal his time, so I'm very happy for that and because I got the win,” said Andreeva, quoted by puntodebreak.com, at the end of a demanding match, both physically and emotionally, in which she eventually managed to overcome difficult moments.
“When I'm trying to be aggressive and play my tennis, I tell myself that I'm going to do it regardless of the score. I feel like when I have the opportunity to try my shots, my feet are faster and I can be aggressive throughout the point, which gives me more energy for the next one.”
Now, at some points I felt like I was forcing the game, but I was waiting for her to make a move, and when I lost those points, I thought I had to call it quits. At some point, I have to take the opportunity and try to play my game and be aggressive,” added Andreeva.
Reflecting on the critical moment of the match, Andreeva added: “I was in a really bad spot when it was 5-6 in the third set, after losing five games in a row. Maybe it's weird to say, but I feel like it helped me a lot at that point, because I was really hard on myself and I thought I don't want to continue like that.
Then I was able to easily win my serve without losing a single point. I wasn't happy though, because I felt like I should have closed the match earlier. I feel that I have to be able to close out matches when I have the opportunity, and that's why I'm a little hard on myself now, but I think it's a very necessary criticism,” the Russian added.
Mira Andreeva, thinking big in Madrid: “I want to do everything for myself when I'm on the pitch”
“Madrid is a very special place for me. We have many traditions here, it coincides with my birthday, my father's and, a few days later, my mother's, so almost every year we celebrate here.
That gives me extra motivation to keep fighting and get through the tough times. I'm super happy that I could win and I'll try to give my best on Tuesday.
I would like to see a little less double faults, because I was nervous and tense at some points today, although overall I am quite happy with my service. I also don't want to wait for my opponent's mistakes. I prefer to err on the side of trying my shots.
I want to do everything for myself when I'm on the court and that's what I'll focus on,” concluded Andreeva, who meets Leylah Fernandez in the quarter-finals in Madrid.
