“Very Bad Ones”- 17YO Russian Star Recalls the Dark Reality of Online Hate After 2023 French Open Loss to Coco Gauff

Fame and tennis go hand in hand, but it often comes with a heavy price! Just ask the World No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, who, despite a tough loss in the 4th round of the AO to Aryna Sabalenka (6-1, 6-1), bounced back spectacularly. She triumphed at the Dubai Open, defeating Clara Tauson in the final, and soared into the Top 10 rankings. Her meteoric rise then culminated in a stunning victory over Sabalenka in the Indian Wells finals, as she managed to clinch back-to-back Masters 1000 titles, drawing comparisons to tennis legend Maria Sharapova. However, Mirra has endured a lot in her short career so far. The young Russian prodigy recently revealed the harsh online abuse she went through before reaching this level of success!

Remember the 2023 Roland-Garros third-round clash between Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff? Andreeva stunned the fans with her performance there. Andreeva, who had just celebrated her 16th birthday in April that year, dominated the first set by targeting Gauff’s weaker forehand and taking the tie-break. However, Gauff fought back strongly, winning the next two sets 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the fourth round. Even after the match, Gauff praised Andreeva, saying, “Today wasn’t going to be an easy match; she deserves to be where she is and go even further.”

However, off the court, Andreeva had a chilling experience as she faced online abuse after that match. Despite her rising stardom, the 17-year-old faced severe online hatred, revealing a darker side of fame in tennis. 

In a recent address to the Tennis Insider Club, Mirra discussed the post-match events following her match with Coco Gauff. “After I lost to to golf to Coco in the Roland Garros, I was, I didn’t expect that people would actually, you know, write some bad stuff also, because I thought that, you know, was a great tournament. Like, I won so many matches. What do you want from me? It’s like, it’s not like you expected me to win the whole thing. Right. And then people, you know, started to write those terrible comments,” she said.

Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 5, 2024 Russia’s Mirra Andreeva reacts after winning her quarter final match against Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Continuing further, she added, “And I’m like, damn, like people, what’s wrong with you? You know, what do you want from me? And I think until today, you know, a lot of players, of course, are dealing with that. And it’s not very nice, but it’s sport. I don’t think that there is something we can do about it. There are always going to be some people that, you know, are going to always support,”

Subsequently, she unveiled a profound revelation in the sports realm, one she had known before reaching the age of 18. “As soon as you fail or you lose a match, you know, all those bad comments and haters are going to be right there. And, you know, texting all those bad stuff in the comments and in the private messages as well. And I’ve had some, you know, very bad ones,” Mirra further remarked.

Andreeva has always stood up against online abuse and harassment. In an interview with The National News in February, she shared a horrifying experience from her early days in tennis. “I remember once when I was young, when I was 14 years old, I was playing one of my first ITF tournaments and I received a message after my loss that, ‘Look around, because I’m going to find you and I’m going to cut your arms. That was still the one that I remember until today,” she recalled. This chilling incident remains etched in her memory.

Despite facing such dark moments, Andreeva has emerged stronger and continues to shine. Currently, she is in the Madrid Open R16 after defeating Magdalena Fręch in straight sets, further solidifying her place among the top players in the game.

“I was very, very nervous,” Mirra Andreeva shared after reaching the Madrid Open R16

In a thrilling third-round match at the Manolo Santana Stadium during the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open, Mirra Andreeva triumphed over Magdalena Fręch with a 7-5, 6-3 victory. This victory marked their second meeting, with Andreeva also having defeated Fręch earlier in the year at the AO in a three-set battle (6-2, 1-6, 6-2). Both players were highly motivated, especially Fręch, who had shown strong form after a hard-fought second-round win against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

“I was very, very nervous,” Mirra said after the match. “I still struggle to find my best tennis in Madrid. [But I’m] super happy that I could manage to play consistent throughout the whole match,”

Andreeva, who will celebrate her 18th birthday on April 29, 2025, continues to prove herself as one of the most promising young talents in women’s tennis. With this win, she advances to the fourth round of the Madrid Open, where she will face Julia Starodubtseva next.

As Andreeva’s momentum builds, many are eager to see how she performs against Starodubtseva, with expectations high for another exciting showdown. What do you think the result will be?

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