Anisimova, about Andreeva's tears: "It touched me to see her like that"

Pedro de Pablos | 19 Feb 2026 | 17.10

Anisimova, about Andreeva's tears: "It moved me to see her like that"

Streaming WTA Dubai live tennis

🎾 Jessica Pegula vs Amanda Anisimova

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

Amanda Anisimova and Mirra Andreeva have starred in one of the matches of the tournament at the WTA 1000 in Dubai. Ultimately, it was the American tennis player who defeated the reigning champion in three sets, and at the end of the match, the young Russian player broke down in tears after a tough loss, which even touched her opponent.

Both maintain a good relationship, and after the match, Anisimova acknowledged that it was not easy to see a colleague in that state. Over the past few months, Mirra Andreeva has been feeling the pressure on her shoulders, as despite being 18 years old, she is already ranked number seven in the WTA rankings. Today, she psychologically exploded after the match, and Amanda had a nice gesture in reminding her that there truly wasn't a loser in this over 2 and a half-hour duel.

The emotions after Amanda Anisimova & Mirra Andreeva’s match in Dubai.

Mirra is in tears 💔

It would’ve been heartbreak if either one of them lost this match

Mirra came back from 3-5 in the 3rd set & served for the match

After almost 3 hours of tennis, they share a warm hug… pic.twitter.com/Fpu8yBTcLc
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 19, 2026

"In the end, I almost shed tears. It was a very tough battle; I believe we played incredible tennis. Seeing Mirra so devastated is understandable. Both of us fought hard today. It touched me to see her like that. She played very well. She is the reigning champion. I think today, we both won on the court," she acknowledged. Indeed, she is right because in matches like this, you either win or learn, but you never leave with the feeling of having lost.

The consequences in the ranking for Andreeva after her loss in the WTA Dubai

However, Andreeva will find little consolation at this moment, as a few days ago, she confessed that she sometimes forgets she is only 18 years old with a whole career ahead of her. The Russian tennis player won the WTA Adelaide earlier this year and has a record of 12-4 in 2026, so she has many reasons to be pleased. Nevertheless, her tears reflect the mental stress a player is under, and for now, she will drop to the number 8 spot in the rankings on Monday. If Svitolina continues to progress in Dubai, she could even drop to number 9.

Anisimova, on the other hand, came from a first-round withdrawal at the WTA 1000 in Doha, where she was the reigning champion. This setback caused her to drop several positions in the rankings, but if she beats Jessica Pegula in the semifinals, she will ensure, at the very least, to leave as a top 5 player in Dubai. This is how the tennis circuit goes, where a week ago, it seemed like Anisimova was hitting rock bottom, and now it is Andreeva who couldn't contain her emotions courtside as she lost the opportunity to defend her title in the most painful way.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Anisimova, sobre las lágrimas de Andreeva: "Me emocionó verla así"