Mirra Andreeva made a winning start at the WTA Finals against Elina Svitolina.
Making her debut at the event, Andreeva defeated Svitolina, 6-4, 6-0. Dropping just four games, Andreeva moved to the top of Group 2, ahead of Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Karolina Muchova, 7-6, 7-5, in her opening match.
1980 WTA Finals champion Tracy Austin watched Andreeva win her opening match and was impressed by the Russian’s level. After the match, Austin shared what she loves about the world number three.
Tracy Austin loves how many ‘options’ Mirra Andreeva has when she plays
“I loved it when she came to the desk, and she was so honest about her legs shaking. But she has such great members of her team, where she talks about talking to her psychologist and how much help she can get there,” Austin told ‘Tennis Channel‘.
“But what I love watching about Andreeva is that she has so many options. Oftentimes, a player takes a little bit longer to mature; she took no time at all, because her tennis IQ is off the charts.
“Uses the forehand slice, uses the forehand heavy, comes to the net when it’s the right time, the dropshot, she is just able to read the court so well, great court sense, and that is very problematic for her opponents.”
Andreeva proved problematic for Svitolina in her first match as she topped Group 2. Whether she can maintain her place at the top when she returns to take on Sabalenka remains to be seen…
2026 WTA Finals – Group 1
|
Standings |
Player |
Matches (W/L) |
Sets (W/L) |
Games (W/L) |
|
1 |
Linda Noskova |
2-0 |
4-0 (100%) |
24-12 (67%) |
|
2 |
Coco Gauff |
1-1 |
2-3 (40%) |
24-25 (49%) |
|
3 |
Jessica Pegula |
1-1 |
3-2 (60%) |
26-25 (51%) |
|
4 |
Marta Kostyuk |
0-2 |
0-4 (0%) |
13-25 (34%) |
2026 WTA Finals – Group 1
2026 WTA Finals – Group 2
|
Standings |
Player |
Matches (W/L) |
Sets (W/L) |
Games (W/L) |
|
1 |
Mirra Andreeva |
1-0 |
2-0 (100%) |
12-4 (75%) |
|
2 |
Aryna Sabalenka |
1-0 |
2-0 (100%) |
14-11 (56%) |
|
3 |
Karolina Muchova |
0-1 |
0-2 (0%) |
11-14 (44%) |
|
4 |
Elina Svitolina |
0-1 |
0-2 (0%) |
4-12 (25%) |
2026 WTA Finals – Group 2
Why Mirra Andreeva may feel confident despite head-to-head record vs Aryna Sabalenka
Andreeva and Sabalenka have met six times on the WTA Tour. The Belarusian leads their head-to-head 4-2; however, it’s the location of Andreeva’s most recent win that is worth keeping in mind ahead of their WTA Finals clash.
Mirra Andreeva and Aryna Sabalenka’s head-to-head record (2-4)
-
2023 Madrid Open 4R – Aryna Sabalenka defeated Mirra Andreeva, 6-3, 6-1
-
2024 Madrid Open QF – Aryna Sabalenka defeated Mirra Andreeva, 6-1, 6-4
-
2024 French Open QF – Mirra Andreeva defeated Aryna Sabalenka, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4
-
2025 Brisbane International SF – Aryna Sabalenka defeated Mirra Andreeva, 6-3, 6-2
-
2025 Australian Open 4R – Aryna Sabalenka defeated Mirra Andreeva, 6-1, 6-2
-
2025 Indian Wells F – Mirra Andreeva defeated Aryna Sabalenka, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
Andreeva defeated Sabalenka to win her second WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells last year. With Indian Wells hosting this year’s WTA Finals, Andreeva may feel slightly more confident about repeating that result than if the event were held elsewhere.
The good news for Andreeva is that even if she falls short against Sabalenka, she’s not out of the competition. She will return to play Muchova in the final round-robin match with a chance to advance to the semi-finals.
As things stand, Andreeva will meet Coco Gauff in the WTA Finals semi-finals, although that could all change. Andreeva will play Sabalenka in her second group-stage match on Wednesday, November 11, before returning to take on Muchova on Friday, November 13.
O que achou dessa notícia? Deixe um comentário abaixo e/ou compartilhe em suas redes sociais. Assim conseguiremos informar mais pessoas sobre o que acontece no mundo do tênis!
Convidamos você a clicar em Página de Parceiros para conhecer os parceiros do Tênis Portal e acessar seus sites.
Esta notícia foi originalmente publicada em: Fonte original