“You're judging someone who's only learning to be an adult”: Former World No.1 stands up for Mirra Andreeva amid criticism

Russia’s Mirra Andreeva has received some support from former world number one Dinara Safina following her recent struggles. The 18-year-old is already regarded as the one for the future and has produced some incredible results on the court.

In 2025, Andreeva won two major titles. She first won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after beating Denmark’s Clara Tauson in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-1. Just a few weeks after, Andreeva defeated the reigning world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the Indian Wells. Despite those victories, the second phase of the 2025 season has not gone as planned, as Andreeva has failed to put a substantial run in any major event.

Since that triumph at Indian Wells, Andreeva has featured in 12 events and has not reached the semifinals of any competition. Since Wimbledon, Andreeva has featured in four competitions, winning just five of the nine matches.

Her first outing after featuring in the third Grand Slam of the year, where she was knocked out after losing in the quarterfinal, was at the Canadian Open, where she won her first match, courtesy of a walkover against Bianca Andreescu. In the second match, however, she suffered a defeat to America’s McCartney Kessler in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-4.

After that, Andreeva featured in the US Open, where she won her first two round matches against America’s Alycia Parks and Russia’s Anastasia Potapova. In the third round, however, Andreeva’s journey came to an end as she lost to America’s Taylor Townsend.

Later, Andreeva revealed she had an ankle injury during that match. "I feel good, my ankle is fine,” said Andreeva before taking part in the China Open last month. “We did a good job of recovery and strengthening, and I hope it doesn't bother me for the rest of the season. I hope it doesn't bother me at all for the rest of my life, but for now, I feel fine."

After a disappointing run in the US Open, Andreeva featured in two competitions, the China Open and the Wuhan Open. In Beijing, Andreeva was given a first-round bye and won the second and third round matches against Lin Zhu and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. However, her journey was once again cut short after losing in the fourth round against Britain’s Sonay Kartal with a score of 7-5, 2-6, 7-5.

Andreeva’s most recent appearance was in Wuhan, where she was knocked out after losing her first match, this time to Laura Siegemund, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3. After the match, Andreeva received a lot of criticism from tennis fans on social media, including some pundits. Not only have Andreeva’s performances come under criticism, but she also faced some backlash for showing emotions on the court.

However, Andreeva has now found some support in the face of the former world number one, Safina. The 39-year-old stated that it is not right to judge someone who is just 18 years old and is still in the process of understanding herself while competing against the best players in the world.

"Since everyone's discussing Mirra and her behavior, I want to say this: judge not, lest you be judged,” said Safina. “You're debating whether she acted rightly or wrongly... For me, it's more about this: Mirra, what exactly happened that made you struggle so much with your emotions? I'm genuinely curious. Because every one of us, even adults, sometimes fails to keep our emotions in check. We lash out, say things to each other, and later think, "My God!" Yet you're judging someone who's only learning to be an adult. Let's be kinder to one another.