Russian teenage tennis prodigy Mirra Andreeva’s remarkable Wimbledon journey came to a controversial end on Monday when she was penalized for throwing her racket. Andreeva, only 16 years old, slipped while trying to retrieve a shot from opponent Madison Keys when she was 2-5 down in the third set. In the process, she unintentionally threw her racket down on the grass. Umpire Louise Azemar Engzell deemed the action as “unsportsmanlike conduct” and docked Andreeva a point, giving Keys match point, ultimately leading to the American’s victory and quarterfinals berth.
Andreeva vehemently protested Engzell’s decision, stating, “No, it’s the wrong decision. Do you understand what you are doing? I didn’t throw the racket, I slid. It’s the wrong decision. I didn’t throw the racket, I fell. I slid and then I fell.” Despite Andreeva’s insistence that she lost control after sliding, Engzell maintained her stance, indicating that Andreeva deliberately threw the racket. Reflecting on the incident post-match, Andreeva expressed her frustration, saying, “For me, it’s a controversial point because…I don’t know which decision was right…But, honestly, I didn’t have any intention to throw the racket. I slid. Honestly, I thought that I will fall forward…Maybe it did look like I threw the racket. I don’t know. I didn’t see any videos yet but that was her decision to make, so she made this decision. Now, that’s it. She made the decision, so the match is over now.”
Unsurprisingly, Andreeva left the court without shaking Engzell’s hand after the match. Many disputed the decision, highlighting the minimal force Andreeva used to throw her racket, especially considering the finely balanced score at that moment. Tennis podcast host, Chris Hasek-Watt, tweeted, “Mirra Andreeva was given a warning and point penalty to go down match point. It looks like she slipped and then intentionally let her racket go in some frustration. Regardless, an umpire’s job is to understand the match and use discretion. Dumb call.”
This incident is not the first time Andreeva has shown frustration on the court. In her third-round match against Coco Gauff at the French Open last month, she received a code violation for hitting the ball into the crowd out of frustration. Andreeva acknowledged it was a “really stupid move,” but she managed to avoid disqualification as the ball did not hit any spectators.
With her defeat, Andreeva’s Wimbledon journey ends, while Keys now advances to the quarterfinals, matching her previous best performance at the prestigious tournament. Andreeva’s incredible progress is noteworthy considering she was competing in only her second Grand Slam event and has limited experience on grass courts. Her defeat came just a day after she achieved a sensational straight-sets victory against the 22nd seed Anastasia Potapova.
Andreeva’s remarkable achievements have not gone unnoticed, even catching the attention of Netflix cameras filming the upcoming installment of the “Break Point” docuseries, which has been documenting her journey at Wimbledon. CNN has reached out to the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club and the International Tennis Federation for comments from Engzell regarding the controversial decision.
