Andreeva and Sabalenka's dogs had a bit of an 'aggressive' first meeting

Mirra Andreeva is one of many devoted dog moms on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, and her adorable labradoodle, Rassy, was on hand at the BNP Paribas Open last month.

So, too, was Aryna Sabalenka's new pup, Ash, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

The two dogs met at Indian Wells, but it wasn't the kindest introduction.

"My dog was a little bit of a bully," Andreeva said of their initial meeting. "I think because she gets scared and she starts to be a little bit more protective, and she starts to growl and sometimes even bark. So yeah, that was a quick but a little bit aggressive introduction."

Andreeva got Rassy in November of last year, after her mom promised that she'd get her a dog if she reached the Top 20 of the PIF WTA Rankings. In the lead-up to achieving that milestone, the 18-year-old admitted that she would check the live rankings "after every match" she played to see if she had cracked the Top 20.

"I want to buy a dog when I am super confident that I will be able to give everything I can to the dog," she said in March of 2025, "because it's like a little child."

As for Sabalenka, she debuted Ash at Indian Wells, cheerily taking him to the practice court and cozily holding him while doing press. 

Similar to Andreeva, Sabalenka got Ash after making a performance-based deal. It was at last year's US Open, and the World No. 1 and her coach, Anton Dubrov, agreed that if Sabalenka won in New York for a second consecutive year, they'd add a dog to the team.

Of course Sabalenka did win, and a few months later Ash arrived as a welcome addition to the WTA Tour scene.

Now that they've been introduced, we're sure their next encounter will be much warmer and friendlier.

Andreeva is playing the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart this week after winning her second title of the year in Linz. She won her opening-round match on Wednesday, coming from 4-1 down to beat defending champion Jelena Ostapenko 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. She'll play Alycia Parks on Thursday in the Round of 16.

Sabalenka will make her 2026 clay-court debut in Madrid, where she's a three-time champion, next week.