Andreeva's key to overcoming mental challenges

Mirra Andreeva is one of the major protagonists of the week at the WTA Beijing 2026. It had been a long time since we saw the Russian player in the final rounds of a tournament: her triumph at Roland Garros, which unlocked the Olympus of tennis for the young Russian, became a cathartic experience that was difficult to process in subsequent events. It’s not that Mirra has fallen into a hole from which she cannot find a way out, but her consistency and ability to be present in every tournament had indeed suffered... and now she faces the Asian tour with a freshness that may give her an advantage.

However, in her quarterfinal match against Ekaterina Alexandrova, doubts and nerves were already noticeable in key moments. The only key to regain confidence in your shots and want to dominate when the pressure is on lies in confidence, and confidence is built with victories, more necessary than ever for the Russian player. She talked about this in the post-match press conference, describing the potential WTA Finals as a great goal and making it clear what the secret is to shake off negative thoughts on the court.

Andreeva reveals the importance of reaching the semifinals in Beijing: breaking an important streak

Great victory over Alexandrova, although with some difficulties to close her passage to the semifinals

"I think she went through the same thing in the first set: she served to win it, but I managed to turn it around and impose myself. In the second set, she was the one in control and leading the match; she was dominating. She started to play better. I might have made a couple of mistakes here and there, I felt the match slipping away from my hands slowly; she was coming back... you have this feeling that you don't want that to happen. I wanted to close out the match, but I couldn't. It was slipping away, further and further. I'm happy to have stayed calm, even when she served again to win in the second set. I tried to be more aggressive, to go for my shots, for my returns. Very happy to have won the match in two tiebreaks."

Into her first Beijing semifinal 🤩 Mirra Andreeva secures the win against Alexandrova! #ChinaOpen https://t.co/04TwsADZZN

— wta (@WTA) October 8, 2026

The mental keys to overcoming negative thoughts and complicated situations

"Today I felt a certain difference compared to before, for example when I played the clay court tour. You feel that to play well, to be positive, you need to give yourself time, not rush. Even though I did rush at some points, I knew it wasn’t going to lead to anything good. I can learn certain things from today’s match: to maintain my positivity, because that's when I play my best tennis, I needed to take my time, not hurry, breathe, do things slowly, and I feel that is what really helps me."

She couldn't qualify for the WTA Finals last year, but this season it’s within reach

"It would mean so much to me. As you said, last year I was very, very close. Elena... it’s better not to talk about her (smiles), she played impressively. She earned her spot last year, I can’t say anything else. I'm happy because this year I have better prospects. I’m playing better, winning more and more points. It looks good. Very happy to have more and more options with each victory and every match."

First semifinal after Roland Garros: how important is it to return to a round like this?

"For me, every victory is extremely important. Every match I play where I can impose myself is fantastic. It brings much more positivity, joy, and confidence to my tennis. Reaching the semifinals here in Beijing is very special, because we are already at the end of the season. Last year, the last tournaments I played, Beijing, Wuhan and the rest, I wouldn’t even want to remember them, because... they were tough (smiles). I’m happy that this year is different and that I have been able to turn things around."

Earned it 💪 Mirra Andreeva wins the tiebreak 7-4 and takes the opening set against Alexandrova! #ChinaOpen https://t.co/aaevItqt3W

— wta (@WTA) October 8, 2026

Next opponent, Nikola Bartunkova, the great revelation of the tournament, in the semifinals

"She has beaten great players on her way to the semifinals. It's going to be a tough match: even though I beat her at the US Open, I felt it was a very difficult match, with many ups and downs. It’s going to be a very entertaining match for the audience, I would say. She is a spectacular player, I look forward to facing her again. Plus, she is very young. I don’t want to say it’s a battle of the new generation, but we are young, almost teenagers."

And what does it mean for her to achieve victories against players of her own generation?

"I don’t think about it much, to be honest. I don’t see it as me being that leader. I approach each match without thinking about my opponent's age or name; I don’t think about those aspects. I try to play against a certain type of game that I can adapt to, nothing more. Facing matches this way is much easier for me mentally, so I don’t think about other things. If you get into a tennis player’s mind during a match, that's another story, because we think about everything, or at least that happens to me. I try not to think about it, but we’ll see what happens later."

The importance of having a great team around her

"At the beginning, I was doing many things by myself. It wasn't very difficult, though it takes away some energy. Now there are many people who help me. Conchita does a lot of things. My training partner takes care of booking courts, bringing the rackets to the stringer... my mother, my father, who is also here, provide good company. It's always much better to spend time with your family than to be alone. Conchita, of course, takes care of many things, and my agent helps me too. Having a good team around you that does everything possible to help you, not only on the court but also off it, is super important. It helps keep your energy in a good place in major tournaments. It’s one of the most important things for me."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La gran clave de Andreeva para superar los fantasmas a nivel mental