Centre Court has already seen a favourite go down
Wimbledon did not take long to produce its first major upset. Mirra Andreeva, the world No. 5 and recent French Open champion, was knocked out in the second round by Barbora Krejcikova, who came through a proper three-set scrap: 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
On paper, it is a huge disappointment for the Russian. After her Paris triumph, she arrived in London with a new status, a player expected, watched and almost required to back it up. But grass does not forgive a transition that has not quite clicked. Against a more experienced, more versatile Krejcikova, a player far more at home in the messy, awkward parts of a grass-court match, Andreeva eventually wilted.
The Czech, meanwhile, is back at Wimbledon with a grin on her face. Two years after lifting the title here, she has reminded everyone that her tennis can still bite the moment the surface starts rewarding touch, brains and patience.
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Andreeva had made the better start
The match had begun the right way for Andreeva. The Russian took the opening set 6-4, using that already impressive ability to set a heavy pace, soak up pressure and hit through the ball without overcomplicating things.
But Krejcikova never went away. She kept mixing it up, changing the shape of the rallies and refusing to serve up the same ball twice. On grass, that kind of tennis can become a slow poison. While Andreeva tried at times to impose her rhythm, the Czech gradually dragged the contest into areas less comfortable for her opponent.
The longer it went on, the more Andreeva seemed to lose her grip. Krejcikova nicked the second set 7-5, then kept testing the Russian mentally in a tense decider.
Krejcikova nearly made life difficult for herself
At 5-3 in the final set, Krejcikova was serving for the match. It looked done and dusted. But when it came time to finish it off, the pressure hit her. Six match points came and went. Six chances to slam the door shut. Six extra lives for Andreeva, who was hanging on for exactly that kind of opening.
The Russian clawed it back to 5-4, and for a moment it felt like the match might tip into chaos. A favourite on the brink, a former champion wobbling, Centre Court ready to swallow any script that was too neat.
But Krejcikova did not blink a second time. On her seventh match point, she finally closed it out. Huge relief. A big win. And maybe a result that can change the tone of her tournament.
Grass-court craft made the difference
This was not a complete fluke. Krejcikova knows Wimbledon. She knows how to cope with uneven bounces, how to use the angles, how to break an opponent’s power and how to make a match uncomfortable.
Andreeva is still learning on this surface. Her talent is obvious, her rise has been rapid, but grass asks different questions. The footwork is shorter, points can turn in a flash, and players who mix things up force you to think rather than just swing.
On Wednesday, Krejcikova won that battle. Not just with her racket, but with her experience.
Andreeva in tears, the weight of a new status
After the match, Andreeva did not hide how much it hurt. In her press conference, she first praised her opponent, admitting she had chances but could not turn them into anything more.
Then the emotion took over. Asked how long it would take her to process the defeat, she broke down in tears, saying she would need a few days before she could move on.
It said plenty. Andreeva is no longer just a bright young prospect causing a stir. She is now a Grand Slam champion, a top-five player, someone expected to deliver wherever she goes. And that burden, especially at 18, can hit hard when a tournament ends far too soon.
Mirra Andreeva spoke through tears in her Wimbledon press conference after her loss to Barbora Krejcikova
Mirra: “I felt like it was obviously tough. She played well. I felt like I had some chances and opportunities but it didn’t go my way. So she’s the winner today.”
“How… pic.twitter.com/kAKlvfdwU9
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 1, 2026
A grass swing to forget
For Andreeva, the grass-court swing ends badly. One win from two events, then a second-round exit at Wimbledon. After her breakout on clay, the contrast is harsh.
But this is not career disaster. It is a lesson. A reminder that even the fastest rises come with a few bumps. The Russian now heads for the North American hard-court swing, looking to reset, find some rhythm and shake off the blow.
Krejcikova, meanwhile, will meet fellow Czech Nikola Bartunkova in the third round. After a win like that, she is entitled to think a bit bigger.
Wimbledon has only just begun.
But one favourite is already out.
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