Entered the top 3 and immediately withdrew from the tournament: the true reason for the decision of Mirra Andreeva

On October 12, the press service of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) confirmed: Mirra Andreeva is missing the WTA-1000 tournament in Wuhan, China. It would seem that at the peak of the form to take and remove from the competition is absurd. But let's look at the context.

Earlier in the day, for the first time in his career, Mirra entered the elite of world tennis, entrenching on the third line of the WTA ranking. This was preceded by the hardest final of the “thousanders” in Beijing on the eve, October 11, where the Russian lost to the Olympic champion of 2024 Chinese Zheng Qinwen. The match took a huge amount of physical and nervous strength.

The official version of the WTA sounds very bureaucratic. According to the official wording, Andreeva misses the Chinese “thousanders” due to changes in the schedule. Her place in the grid took the 13th in the world ranking American Iva Jovic.

Sounds like an excuse, doesn't it? Especially if you look at the list of those who also withdrew from the tournament in Wuhan. Chinese Zheng Qinwen, Czech Linda Noskova and Ukrainian Alexandra Oleynikova refused to participate. But for all three, the reason is trivial and understandable - damage. Mirra doesn't have any injuries.

So what are the real reasons? The answer lies on the surface, considering the calendar and the main goals of the season.

It is noteworthy that earlier Andreeva for the first time in her career qualified for the WTA Final Tournament, which will be held from 8 to 15 November. This is the main event of the end of the year, where the eight best tennis players of the planet gather. Obviously, the coaching staff decided to adjust the schedule to save strength. After an emotional outburst in Beijing and a historic top 3 spot, this decision looks less like a weakness than a wise strategic move. The team decided to save the athlete so that she approached the Final tournament in perfect condition, and did not finish the competition on the rest of the energy.

The tournament in Wuhan, which runs from 12 to 18 October, loses one of the main stars. The current champion of the competition is the fourth racket of the world Corey Gauff. In the final match of the last draw, she beat the third number of the world ranking, compatriot Jessica Pegula, with a score of 6:4, 7:5.

But it is too early for the fans to get upset. Despite Andreeva’s removal, there is still a powerful Russian representative office in Wuhan that will be interesting to follow. This is Lyudmila Samsonova, occupying the 43rd line in the world ranking, as well as the 13th racket of the planet Diana Schneider. Both players have already successfully reached the second round and are ready to fight for high places.

So the removal of Myrrh is no reason to panic. This is the competent work of a team that thinks for the future and preserves its main talent for the most important trophies.