Andrejeva denies missing the Tokyo tournament due to visa issues; Becker reveals he almost became Sinner’s new coach

Andrejeva, who secured two WTA 1000 singles championships this year, failed to qualify for the Riyadh year-end finals, which saddened many supporters. It was previously reported that her team tried to enter the Tokyo event to fight for a spot, but visa complications prevented her participation. She has now publicly denied these claims.

“The decision to withdraw was made jointly by my team and me, but in hindsight, it was a mistake,” admitted Russian tennis rising star Mira Andrejeva at the WTA Finals venue. She acknowledged that withdrawing from Tokyo by error cost her qualification for the year-end finals by just six points.

When questioned further by reporters before the WTA Finals, Andrejeva clarified that her absence from Tokyo was not due to visa difficulties but was a mutual decision made within her team.

“We are still learning. This is only my second full season on the WTA Tour. We will take this as a lesson to gain experience and avoid repeating the same mistake,” Andrejeva sincerely stated.

This seemingly small choice had a significant impact. Andrejeva narrowly missed qualifying for the year-end finals and entered as the first alternate in singles, while partnering with Schneider in doubles.

A netizen commented on social media: “It’s unfortunate what happened to Andrejeva. Players clearly need to consider many factors when planning their schedules, but for young athletes, growth comes through recognizing mistakes and learning from them.”

Other users expressed, “Andrejeva is still very young, and she has a long career ahead. Missing one finals isn’t a big deal!” Another added, “Team decisions are crucial for tennis players, and Andrejeva’s case proves that.”

Meanwhile, tennis legend Becker revealed an unknown secret.

“I almost became Sinner’s coach. I thought it was a secret, but it’s true,” Becker disclosed during an interview.

Reflecting on the opportunity, Becker showed remarkable honesty: “I told Yannick, ‘I don’t know the outcome of my case in London, so I can’t commit now. But I don’t want to disappoint you — one of the people I recommended was Darren Cahill. To me, he’s the best.’”

Becker praised Cahill highly but hinted at future possibilities: “If Cahill retires at the end of the season, maybe I’ll re-enter the competition? But Darren probably won’t leave easily.”

In the interview, Becker expressed deep admiration for Sinner: “I have always believed Yannick can become the best player. He needs to improve his serve and footwork, but his mind is already excellent.” He also emphasized, “Sinner won four Grand Slam titles by age 24. I don’t think I could have done better than Cahill and Vaniozzi.”

Becker also praised Simone from Sinner’s team: “Simone wasn’t famous when he joined, but few understand tennis like he does. The team’s success speaks for itself, especially considering Yannick only started playing seriously at 13 or 14 — it’s incredible.”

As a tennis legend, Becker’s most successful coaching stint was from 2014 to 2016 with Djokovic. During those three years, he helped Djokovic win six Grand Slam titles, including achieving the career Grand Slam at the 2016 French Open. Naturally, this historic success leads to speculation: had Becker coached Sinner then, how different might the Italian’s career have been?

Regarding Becker’s revelation, tennis analyst Ben Wright commented: “A Becker-Sinner partnership would be exciting. But judging by results, Cahill’s guidance has also been excellent.”

Fans remarked, “I didn’t know about Becker and Sinner’s history. If Becker had coached him, would Sinner’s clay-court game have developed sooner?” What do you think? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)