Mirra Andreeva defeated Nikola Bartunkova, 6-2, 6-2, in the China Open semi-finals.
The Russian number one made light work of her Czech opponent, advancing to her second WTA 1000 final of the season and her first-ever final in Beijing. She will play Elise Mertens or Qinwen Zheng in Sunday’s Championship match.
Andreeva was understandably delighted with the win and her performance, taking down a more-than-capable opponent. Bartunkova defeated Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova to reach the final four.
Mirra Andreeva tried to be brave ‘no matter what’ against Nikola Bartunkova in Beijing
“I wanted to play aggressive today. I feel like she’s a very tricky opponent to play against; she has a great serve, she has amazing touch, and she likes to move the ball around. At the same time, with all of that, sometimes she manages to hit rockets out of nowhere, so it was tough to play against her,” said Andreeva during her on-court interview.
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“So yeah, just tried to play aggressive, I’m really happy with how I was playing, I really tried to be brave no matter what, and super happy with my performance today.”
Andreeva was then asked about her pre-match routines with coach Conchita Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, and highlighted how important the Spaniard will be ahead of the final.
“Yes, for sure, it’s one of our routines. First, of course, we talk about the match, but when I’m tired of listening to her, we play Uno, and that’s our routine before the match to help me be a little bit more relaxed and have less nerves,” she said.
“For sure, I will watch a little bit of their match tonight [Mertens vs Zheng] to also see a lot of different things. I’m sure Conchita will prepare her best. Give me the plan; I rely on her. It’s her job, so I hope she’s going to prepare me well enough for the final!
“I’m just very excited to be in the final. There are two amazing players in the second semi-final; let’s see who will win, and no matter who I play against, I will try to prepare my best.”
Mertens and Zheng will contest the second semi-final on Saturday, October 10, and the winner will meet Andreeva in Sunday’s final. Andreeva is 1-0 against Mertens and 0-1 against Zheng. Looking at those head-to-head records, you can imagine who Andreeva will want to face in the final…
Mirra Andreeva searches for her third WTA 1000 title at the 2026 China Open
Andreeva won her first two WTA 1000 titles back-to-back at last year’s Dubai Tennis Championships and Indian Wells. She then played her third final in Madrid this year, which she lost to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
Mirra Andreeva’s record in WTA 1000 finals (2-1)
| Final | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships | Clara Tauson | WIN | 7-6, 6-1 |
| 2025 Indian Wells | Aryna Sabalenka | WIN | 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2026 Madrid Open | Marta Kostyuk | LOSS | 3-6, 5-7 |
| 2026 China Open | TBD | TBD | TBD |
If she wins her third WTA 1000 title in China, she will move ahead of Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova, Jasmine Paolini, Belinda Bencic, and Naomi Osaka on the list of active WTA 1000 champions.
List of active multiple WTA 1000 champions
- 1. Serena Williams – 23
- 2. Iga Swiatek – 12
- 3. Aryna Sabalenka – 11
- 4. Venus Williams – 9
- 5. Elina Svitolina – 5
- T-6. Coco Gauff – 4
- T-6. Jessica Pegula – 4
- T-8. Mirra Andreeva – 2
- T-8. Elena Rybakina – 2
- T-8. Amanda Anisimova – 2
- T-8. Jasmine Paolini – 2
- T-8. Belinda Bencic – 2
- T-8. Naomi Osaka – 2
Only time will tell if Andreeva can emerge victorious in Beijing, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
