Mirra Andreeva saves seven match points but falls to Krejčíková in Wimbledon thriller
Barbora Krejcikova edged out Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday evening. She’ll face Nikola Bartunkova in the next round
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) vs. Mirra Andreeva, Wimbledon 2026 | © COLORSPORT/Ashley Western/Shutterstock/SIPA
Mirra Andreeva’s Wimbledon ended in heartbreak on Centre Court on Wednesday, the reigning French Open champion saving seven match points in the deciding set before losing to two-time major winner Barbora Krejčíková 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a gripping contest lasting two hours and 46 minutes.
The fifth seed, who won Roland-Garros only last month at 19, took the opening set and led the momentum for long stretches, but the 2024 Wimbledon champion clawed her way back and finally converted a seventh match point, helped by a net cord that left Andreeva stranded. Visibly emotional afterwards, Andreeva admitted the defeat would take time to absorb. “I had some chances, some opportunities. It didn’t go my way,” she said. “It’s going to take some time, maybe a couple of days, and then I’m going to be back to practice for hard courts.”
She was generous in defeat, crediting an awkward opponent on a surface that magnified Krejčíková’s craft. “She played well. She’s a tricky opponent, especially to play against her on grass,” Andreeva said. “She changes the rhythm a lot. The slices and drop shots, here they stay low, they don’t bounce. I’ve had some trouble with that.” She was equally honest about her own level. “A lot of mistakes today. I felt like I could have played better.”
The quickaround is not an excuse
Andreeva identified her serve as the difference in a match she felt was within reach. Asked about the game in which she saved the match points, she said the fightback might have turned the contest had she been sharper behind her delivery. “As soon as I won that game, I felt I had a lot of great chances to make the score even with my serve,” she said. “I didn’t serve very well, didn’t win a lot of free points as I usually do. It could have been a turning point. As you can see, it didn’t work.”
The defeat came just weeks after her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris, but Andreeva declined to use the quick turnaround as an excuse. “It’s not easy, but I’m not the only one that does that,” she said. “More or less we’re in even conditions.”
Andreeva, who reached the quarter-finals here a year ago, will now turn to the North American hard courts, though she was uncertain of her schedule. “I still need to talk to my team to see where I’m going to play next,” she said. Krejčíková advances to an all-Czech third round against Nikola Bartunková.
