It was a tough pill to swallow for Mirra Andreeva. Pulling out of the Japan Open ended up costing her a place at the WTA Finals by just six points. Her absence gave Elena Rybakina the opening she needed, and by reaching the semifinals in Tokyo, Rybakina locked in the final ticket to the year-end event.
The fight for that last Finals spot had been fierce all week, and Andreeva’s choice was the deciding factor. When she later explained why she made that decision, fans couldn’t help but share their thoughts and emotions online.
How Did Social Media React to Mirra Andreeva’s Comments on Withdrawing from Tokyo?
Headlines soon followed after Australia’s Ellen Perez shared that the Russian doesn’t have a Visa to play in Tokyo, which many perceived as a Visa issue. However, the 18-year-old later set the record straight, explaining that it was a decision made by her and her team, adding that she intends to learn from such decisions in the future.
“We just had a talk with our team and we decided to skip the tournament. In the end, it turned out to be a wrong decision. I guess with experience we’re just learning. This is just my, not even a second full year on the WTA Tour, so I think we’re just going to learn from this, we’re going to get more experience from this and next time I think we’re not going to make that mistake again,” she said.
Several fans on X have now reacted to the update, offering varied theories about what influenced her decision to withdraw. One fan suggested that Andreeva’s team advised her to take a break following her emotional outburst in recent matches.
“Mirra was crying throughout her recent matches. It makes complete sense that they thought it was best to give her a break to recollect herself instead of going to another tournament just to break down on the court again,” they wrote.
Mirra was crying throughout her recent matches. It makes complete sense that they thought it was best to give her a break to recollect herself instead of going to another tournament just to break down on the court again
— Cheesecoke (@hehe87473974) November 2, 2025
“The visa thing at least would’ve made sense, but its just a bizarre scheduling decision. Yes it’s only her 2nd year on Tour so they’ll learn, but Conchita Martinez has been there and done that, surprised she didn’t know better. Schedule the event and pull out if you don’t need it,” another chimed in.
“Thanks for the confirmation. Been saying this for a week now, yet everyone keeps repeating the same lie of “visa problems,” one said.
A fan speculated that Andreeva’s team took a calculated risk by resting her after poor form and visible frustration, but the decision ultimately backfired.
“i would guess taking a calculated risk given how much on the edge Mira was (she was losing really poorly…) didnt pan out,” they commented.
i would guess taking a calculated risk given how much on the edge Mira was (she was losing really poorly…)
didnt pan out.— Tennis tennis everywhere (@fabMissAna) November 2, 2025
A fan echoed the sentiments, writing:
“people were talking too much, but they haven’t been watching mirra play for the second half of the season. that girl was not okay.”
The fan argues it was wise not to overpush Andreeva, criticizing others for prioritizing trophies over players’ mental well-being.
“Exactly,i actually think they made the right decision not to push her even more for the qualification. You know it seems like many of these fans don’t really care about the players as human beings,it’s all about wins and trophies for them,” they commented.
The Russian will wrap up her season with a strong 40-16 record and two remarkable WTA 1000 titles, the BNP Paribas Open and the Dubai Duty Free Championships. While she narrowly missed singles qualification, the 18-year-old still has an opportunity to make a mark in doubles at the WTA Finals with Diana Shnaider.