"When I saw a bad message, I clicked on it and started to investigate": Mirra Andreeva found it difficult to deal with initial social media hate

Monday, 19 January 2026 at 15:30

Mirra Andreeva underlined her growing composure on the sport’s biggest stage with a 4–6, 6–3, 6–0 victory over Donna Vekic in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open, recovering from a slow start to overpower the experienced Croat and book a Round Two meeting with Maria Sakkari.

Vekic came out swinging early, taking the opening set as Andreeva absorbed sustained pressure from the baseline. "She started pretty well in the beginning,” Andreeva said in her press conference. “I also felt like I started well, but then she was very aggressive. She was going for her shots and hit a lot of winners.”

Rather than panic, Andreeva stayed patient and trusted the plan laid out by her team, allowing the match to swing firmly in her favour. “I just tried to stay in the match, do my thing and stick to the plan,” she said. “In the end, it worked.”

The Russian admitted she was far from thrilled when she first saw Vekic’s name in the draw, aware of her opponent’s reputation for knocking out top players in early rounds at Grand Slams. “I knew she’s obviously a tough player,” Andreeva said. “When I saw the draw and the first-round opponent was Donna, I was like, well, it’s not the easiest draw. She’s very experienced and she plays pretty good, so yeah, I wasn’t very happy when I saw the draw.”

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Andreeva’s ability to rebound after losing the opening set has become a recurring theme in her young season, something she credits to a year of detailed work behind the scenes.

“We put a lot of work into that,” she explained. “No matter what happens, to always stick to the plan, not lose focus and not get into panic mode when something doesn’t go according to the plan.”

Now, she says, the lesson has fully clicked. "I realise that panic won’t help,” Andreeva said. “The only thing that’s going to help is if I stay calm, listen to what my team says, to what Conchita says. The only chance I have to win the match is to do the right things — the things my coach tells me to do.”

Getting smarter and Sakkari test

Asked how she has “gotten smarter,” Andreeva pointed to increased trust in her team and a willingness to conserve energy for the moments that matter. "I don’t waste energy on some things anymore,” she said. “I just do what my team says now. If they tell me to go, I go. If they tell me to stay, I stay. I’m a little bit lazy to fight against them and do my own thing.”

That shift, she admits, marks a clear change from earlier in her career. “In the past, everything was new and I wanted to do things my way sometimes,” she said. “Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Now I just don’t care. I do whatever they say.”

Next up is a Round Two clash with former world number three Maria Sakkari, a matchup Andreeva approaches with respect and openness. “She’s a very experienced player,” Andreeva said. “She’s a hitter and likes to play aggressive. We practised once in Paris, so I have an idea of how she plays, but I wouldn’t say I know her very well. From now on, it’s Conchita’s job to tell me what I have to do.”

Off court, Andreeva also reflected on life on tour and the personalities that shape it, praising world number one Aryna Sabalenka for her openness and presence on social media. “I think it’s great,” Andreeva said. “She shows a lot of what’s going on on tour. I like to watch her stories — it’s interesting. She does a good job of being funny and keeping the fans in touch.”

At the same time, she acknowledged the darker side of social media, particularly the criticism players can receive regardless of results."In the beginning, when I just got on tour, it was pretty hard because everything was new. When I saw a bad message, I clicked on it and started to investigate, who this person was and why they messaged me.

"But with time, I realised that everyone gets these kinds of messages. Even when you win a match, you can still get a bad message for whatever reason. Now I just try not to be on social media too much. Sometimes I repost stories or post photos, but other than that, I try to turn off my phone and do something else and not spend too much time there."

With a dominant final set against Vekic and a growing sense of self-awareness, Andreeva heads into her second-round meeting with Sakkari showing not just improved results, but a maturity that continues to accelerate her rise.

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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