Mirra Andreeva narrowly missed out on a place in the WTA Finals singles draw by just six ranking points, and the slim margin was influenced by her absence from the Toray Pan Pacific Open, which opened the door for Elena Rybakina to qualify instead.
While many initially believed visa issues kept her out of Tokyo, the Russian teenager recently dismissed that narrative, clarifying the actual reason behind her withdrawal.
Mirra Andreeva Explains the Reason Behind Skipping the Japan Open Ahead of the WTA Finals
Andreeva has rapidly emerged as one of the most dynamic young talents on tour, underscoring her rise with two standout WTA 1000 triumphs in Dubai and Indian Wells this season.
The battle for the final WTA Finals berth remained wide open ahead of the WTA 500 event in Japan, and both Andreeva and Rybakina were vying for the last qualifying spot. But Andreeva’s withdrawal and Rybakina’s semifinal finish ultimately proved decisive, edging the teenager out of contention by the slimmest of margins.
In the wake of Andreeva’s decision, Australian player Ellen Perez shared that visa problems were the reason, and many believed the same. But the 18-year-old has now corrected the record, telling AFP that skipping the event in Japan was her and her team’s decision.
“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,” she said.
Andreeva said she is still gaining experience on the WTA Tour and acknowledged that decisions like skipping Tokyo are part of the learning process. She believes the setback will help her and her team make better choices in similar situations in the future.
“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 added.
Despite the singles setback, the 18-year-old still has a chance to shine in the doubles field at the WTA Finals alongside Diana Shnaider. However, the duo dropped their opening match 3-6, 6-7 (2) to Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe and now have their sights set on their upcoming encounter against Luisa Stefani and Tímea Babos.
Andreeva also remains on standby for the singles draw, listed behind Ekaterina Alexandrova as a potential alternate.