Here are the main takeaways from the latest episode of Hardcourt, where Svetlana Kuznetsova joined Elena Dementieva, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and Anna Vasilyeva to discuss Mirra Andreeva’s struggles, Daniil Medvedev’s resurgence, and the Indian Wells Masters. The full episode is available on First & Red platforms.
“She’s losing to herself”
Elena Dementieva:
My impression was that Mirra came out with enormous desire. She wanted it, she had the physical strength, but her emotions got in the way. Siniaková, on the other hand, looked exhausted after a three-setter the day before. At one point she looked ready to crawl off the court, yet she simply forced herself to keep playing.
She conserved her emotional energy and focused entirely on each rally. Mirra did the opposite. Her first emotional collapse came when she was leading 6–4, 2–1 and held three break points. Yes, she lost that game, but at 6–4, 2–2 nothing dramatic had happened. Unfortunately, that was enough to trigger the meltdown.
I don't want to criticize her—I’d rather point out something positive. Since Mirra arrived on tour, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen someone genuinely outplay her. Almost every other loss has come because she beat herself.
I even went back and rewatched her Indian Wells final against Aryna Sabalenka from last year. What has changed? Honestly, not much. She played with more composure, more confidence, moved a bit better. Now she’s actually stronger, and her serve has improved. I don't see any major technical decline. The biggest difference is her emotions. She simply has to learn how to compete with them.
“A player at this level simply can't make those mistakes”
Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
Nobody doubts that Mirra's potential is far greater than her opponent's. But somehow invisible forces prevent her from using her full arsenal.
You always have to build on your strengths. I'm not her coach and I don't know what happens in practice, but I firmly believe that repetition creates quality. Sometimes she makes mistakes that I simply cannot comprehend. A top-five player should not be making those kinds of errors. That's my only complaint.
Watching her serve and forehand can honestly be painful.
Elena Dementieva:
Think back to Aryna Sabalenka at the beginning of her career. Today we admire her as the dominant No. 1, but back then she made much worse mistakes than Mirra does now. Balls weren't just sailing long—they were complete breakdowns. Yet she overcame all of it.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
Nobody is saying Mirra can't play. Against Siniaková she produced one rally that was absolutely world-class. Just one. She has every shot she needs—but for some reason she can't reproduce it consistently. I don't have an explanation why.
“If my player told me to f*** off during a match, I'd get up and leave”
Svetlana Kuznetsova:
One thing stood out to me about Siniaková. She wasn't wasting energy emotionally. She simply enjoyed playing.
That's what I love about Carlos Alcaraz. He smiles. He enjoys being on court, whether he's winning or losing. That's why they're there—for the game.
Mirra, meanwhile, seems angry all the time. She vents at her mother, at Conchita, at whoever is nearby. She has to learn to control that and decide what kind of career she wants.
I won the US Open at 19. The following year everyone expected more from me, and suddenly I didn't know what to do. That's the year you either evolve or stand still.
I'd love to see Mirra evolve. Physically she has improved, her serve is better, but mentally she's gone backwards. There's more anger and less emotional control.
If my player told me to f*** off during a match, I'd stand up and leave. Only then will the player learn respect. Right now everyone around her accepts that behavior. She has to respect her mother and her coach first. In Spain I learned that you are a person before you are a player.
“Federer never walked off saying ‘f*** you all’”
Elena Dementieva:
We seem to have a habit of taking our frustration out on our own team. I never saw Serena Williams lash out at her family or coaches. She argued with line judges and umpires, sure—but never with the people closest to her.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
Mirra says Roger Federer is her idol. Fine—but Federer, no matter what happened, never finished a match by saying "f*** you all" and walking off. Those are things you simply cannot do. You push fans away.
I wasn't perfect either. I once cursed an umpire and got fined $25,000. But I never publicly told everyone to get lost.
Elena Dementieva:
Everyone loses emotional control sometimes.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
Yes—but not like that.
“If everyone keeps telling you how great you are...”
Svetlana Kuznetsova:
I rewatched the match to understand why Mirra cursed the crowd. The truth is that she hadn't behaved particularly well herself. She celebrated her opponent's mistakes loudly, and Siniaková eventually responded the same way. The crowd turned against Mirra, she got upset, and that's where the reaction came from.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
My coach almost never praised me. After one Roland Garros semifinal he simply said, "Today was good." That was the only compliment I can remember. Looking back, I understand why. If everyone constantly tells you how wonderful you are, your perception becomes dulled.
Svetlana Kuznetsova:
I also think expectations are affecting Mirra. She says she doesn't feel pressure defending titles, but that's impossible. Everyone knows she's the favorite now. Every opponent believes she can be beaten if they stay mentally strong.
“Thank God the balls weren't square”
When the conversation shifted to Daniil Medvedev's Indian Wells run:
Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
Thank God the balls at this tournament weren't square. That's the main thing. Hopefully they'll stay just as round in Miami.
You could see how comfortable Daniil felt. The thinner air gives even more pace to his flat groundstrokes, and his serve becomes even more effective. Everything about Indian Wells suits him perfectly.
Elena Dementieva:
Against Carlos Alcaraz he was magnificent. When Daniil controls his emotions instead of arguing with umpires or complaining about balls and courts, he's a beautiful player to watch.
That version of Medvedev beat Alcaraz, and even Sinner barely escaped him. He was the biggest revelation of the tournament.
“I never imagined Alcaraz would make 30 unforced errors”
Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
I wasn't underestimating Medvedev—I simply couldn't imagine Carlos making 30 unforced errors. But that's exactly what happened.
Svetlana Kuznetsova:
Ever since Daniil changed his team, it feels like he's playing with fresh air around him. Everyone criticized him before, saying he had no chance against Alcaraz. Now everyone is praising him again.
It's wonderful to see him enjoying his tennis again.
“Without a brain, you can't play tennis”
The discussion ended with tennis IQ after Alexander Zverev suggested it wasn't as important in today's game.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
You always need your brain. You cannot become a top-10 player without understanding exactly what you're trying to do on court and how to construct points.
Elena Dementieva:
Today's speeds make decision-making even more important because you have only fractions of a second to choose correctly.
Svetlana Kuznetsova:
Physical ability is essential now, but tennis IQ still matters enormously. Against someone like Aryna Sabalenka, who serves close to 200 km/h, intelligence alone isn't enough. Modern tennis requires the complete package—speed, power and tactical understanding.
