Teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva will not be playing at the first WTA 1000 tournament of 2024, the Qatar Open in Doha.
Andreeva has not played since her dramatic Australian Open campaign. In the second round, she thrashed three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur, before Andreeva saved a match point to defeat Diane Parry in the next round.
The 16-year-old then won the opening set in the fourth round against Barbora Krejcikova, but the Czech recovered to beat Andreeva in three sets and leave her waiting for a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Despite that loss, it was still a great tournament for the Russian. Her extraordinary talent at such a young age is why Maria Sharapova lauded Coco Gauff and Andreeva for their successes as teenagers.
Andreeva had been expected to make her first appearance since the Australian Open in Doha. A series of withdrawals meant Andreeva automatically came into the main draw without having to think about qualifying.
However, it turns out that Andreeva being entered into the main draw did not matter, due to the teenager making the decision to withdraw from the first WTA 1000 event of the season.
No reason has been provided for this news. It is possible that Andreeva's efforts in Melbourne mean she needs more recovery time, or she could have picked up an injury. It is impossible to know at this stage.
Andreeva is replaced in the Doha draw by Katerina Siniakova. The Czech was in action last week in Linz, where she fell to Frenchwoman Clara Burel in three sets. She also reached the second round of the Australian Open, losing to Viktorija Golubic.
The 16-year-old's incredible talent will be missed in Doha. Hopefully, we see her back in action as quickly as possible. Andreeva's rise is one of the most fascinating in tennis, and that story not being present in Doha is a blow to the tournament.
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