"She ran into an almost insurmountable obstacle": Mirra Andreeva absolved of criticism amid late Beijing loss

Wednesday, 14 October 2026 at 02:30

Mirra Andreeva holding the Roland Garros trophy and her dog

Mirra Andreeva will have left Beijing with mixed feelings as she lost in the final to a resurgent Zheng Qinwen 7-5, 6-4. But Elena Dementieva called back on criticism, as she, of course, would've been the favourite given she is a Grand Slam champion.

Especially given Zheng's injury, which has travails for quite a long time, which has seen her produce this heartwarming story again after so long off the court with injuries. But while that is the case, Andreeva no doubt would've been down amid the feel-good nature of the story.

But for Dementieva, she said that she had a brilliant tournament, and Andreeva, who had a chance to claim another big crown after winning Roland Garros, faltered in front of a big crowd who were there to watch their iconic star and backed her to the hilt. The Russian never managed to send the match in her favour.

But for her, it was unfair to only call back that defeated and said that she was impressed by her attitude and mental state amid everything that went on, especially with the season winding down.

Qinwen Zheng of China celebrates on the podium after winning the final match against Mirra Andreeva of Russia (not in view) during the Tennis China Open.

Mental fortitude of Andreeva lauded

Andreeva has kept the foot on the gas; after last season, she won multiple titles but didn't make it to the WTA Finals after a poor end. But with the stakes being high for her, she is firmly trying her best to make it.

"I really loved the way Mirra played throughout the tournament. I would describe her performance as brilliant, even despite her loss in the final," she explained in a video for First & Red.

"She showed character and great mental strength. She was in exceptional physical shape. You would never have guessed the season was coming to an end.

"It felt like a tournament right before the Australian Open. She was playing so well! Her legs were working perfectly on court, and she was moving extremely fast."

Dementieva, as a result, said that Andreeva does not actually have any weaknesses in her game and that, in theory, Zheng Qinwen was playing a very special game in front of her home crowd and being the first final in the history of a Beijing tournament for a Chinese player.

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A pretty huge feat, and in the view of Dementieva, not one you can take away, not only from Qinwen but also from Andreeva in trying her best to deal with it.

"I wouldn't say anything was missing from her game. It's simply that she ran into an almost insurmountable obstacle in Qinwen."

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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