The 2026 BNP Paribas Open made headlines throughout the past fortnight, not just for the elite-level tennis played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, but also for some controversial events. The women’s singles defending champion, Mirra Andreeva, was involved in one such incident during her third-round match against the doubles specialist Kateřina Siniaková.
The 2003 US Open Champion, Andy Roddick, shared his views on the Russian teenager’s emotional outburst after her grueling three-set battle.
Andy Roddick Advises Mirra Andreeva to Use Her Emotions as Her Strength After Indian Wells
Andreeva entered the WTA 1000 event at Indian Wells as the defending champion after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s championship match. Being the eighth seed, she received a bye in the first round and completely squashed the Argentine star Solana Sierra 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.
Things weren’t so easy when she stepped on Court 1 for her third-round match against Siniaková. She managed to win the first set 6-4 against the Czech star, but the doubles specialist caused a massive upset as she took the next two sets 7-6(5), 6-3 to win the match in just under three hours.
After losing the second-set tiebreak, the Russian teenager smashed her racket on court, earning a code violation. The net-cord winner from her opponent at the final point triggered a complete meltdown as Andreeva threw her racket again right before the handshake. While she was leaving the court, the crowd booed loudly, and the World No. 10 reacted by shouting “F*** you all” multiple times.
Roddick offered his opinion on Andreeva’s outburst on the Served Podcast by jokingly saying, “I’ll tell you something, I don’t f*****g like profanity. I don’t like profanity. I won’t stand for that s**t.” He mentioned the pressure of a title defense being a major factor in the Russian’s exit: “I’m still a big fan. I’m not going to overreact, even if she may have overreacted to the crowd this week. You could kind of feel the stress of maybe having to defend.”
The former World No. 1 then discussed the two major tennis playing styles: one based on power, and the other on “decision-making, tennis IQ, and clarity of intent.” Speaking about Andreeva’s gameplay, he stated,
“In order for Andreeva’s game to work, I think she has to have a certain amount of chess master in her game. What she did so beautifully last year for that run was mixing up paces, switching directions, playing it short, playing it back, defending against Sabalenka’s pace by deflating the ball. All of those little decisions you have to be clear on.”
He then shifted his focus back to Andreeva’s emotional outburst by comparing it with the World No. 1 Sabalenka, saying, after breaking a racket, “I have no doubts 4 minutes later she’s going to be engaged. I don’t have that same confidence right now within Andreeva.”
Roddick acknowledged the Russian’s different personality, saying, “Her personality is not going to be this wallflower, quiet, Rybakina type thing.” Still, the most important thing that she needs to add, according to the American, is, “The focus is get it out, get back to work. You got to find a way to deflate your emotions when they get the best of you.”
He concluded by saying, “That’s going to be a benefit for her at some point in her career. And we’re going to give credit to it two years from now while not remembering what happened in Indian Wells.”
This confidence from the former American pro shows that Andreeva has what it takes to be a major star on the WTA Tour; it’s just that she needs to control her emotions or channel her energy in her own favor. Given her young age and very little time spent on the tour, she is only going to get better in both her on-court performances and her ability to handle the high emotions that come with such atmospheres.
Even though her campaign at the first leg of the Sunshine Double did not end how she would have wanted, Andreeva again has a very good chance to show the world what she’s capable of at the 2026 Miami Open.
MORE: Miami Open 2026 Seeds, Wildcards, Format, and More Headlined By Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz
The women’s singles main draw commences today, March 17, and the Russian will step foot on court in the second round against either American McCartney Kessler or Magdalena Fręch.
Last year, she suffered a third-round exit after losing against the American Amanda Anisimova, but went on to lift the doubles title while teaming up with Diana Shnaider. She would be looking to replicate the result in singles this time, hoping to make a deep run in the tournament.
Andy Roddick defends Mirra Andreeva’s emotional Indian Wells outburst, advising her to channel it to improve her gameplay.
