August 5, 2024 • 14 mins
Mirra Andreeva is one of the stars of the moment: an Olympic silver medallist in doubles at the Paris 2024 Games not long after capturing her first career WTA singles title in Iasi, and now a top-25 player. The 17-year-old sat down with Viv at the recent Wimbledon championships, showcasing her strikingly mature personality and unique perspective on the game. Andreeva discusses her love of all surfaces, comparisons with Martina Hingis, and working with former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, as well as what she's reading and studying.
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@Viv_Christie
@MattyAT
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Sitdown.
I'm Matt Trolo, a writer for oz open dot com, and.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm Viv Christie, managing editor of Australian tennis magazine.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Good to see.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Viv.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Can you tell us why we're sitting down with Mira
Andreva this week?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Well, I was lucky enough to sit down with Mira
at Wimbledon when I was there a few weeks ago.
And yeah, Mira is a great personality, as we know
on the women's tour. You know, she brings a lot
of fighting spirit, big stage personality to all of her matches.
And yeah, she's just really one for us to keep
an eye on.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Good timing this week because she's just won an Olympic
silver medal with Diana Schnader in the women's doubles in Paris,
and also that was hot off the heels of her
first wto title.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Mira, thank you for your time today. It's great to
have you as a guest on the sit Down. I
wonder if you could start by sharing with our listeners
how you had your start in tennis.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I started playing tennis when I was six years old,
but I spent like three years before in the tennis
court because my older sister she started playing as well.
She was she started when she was around five, and
so yeah, since I'm three years old, I've been spending
some time on a tennis court. But I wish I
(01:20):
would have started earlier. But I remember that I couldn't
hold a racket in my hand. It was too heavy
and it would just keep falling down. So yeah, I
started when I was six. I started in Siberia, in Krasnoyarsk,
is the city where we come from, and yeah, that's
basically it. After we moved to south of Russia the
(01:44):
city named Sochi, and since then we lived there for
five six years and after now we live in Khan
for I don't know, almost three years now.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Already you started with when you was six, as you say,
and now you're seventeen, so that's barely ten years. And
in that time you've had wins over top ten opponents,
including your idol on Jibba, and reach the semifinals at Rollandaros.
Does it ever feel like a bit of a dream?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
At first, it did, and it still feels like a dream,
of course, because I've been watching these tournaments when I
was a kid on a TV having my breakfast before
I would go to school. So of course it feels
like a dream to me to be here and play
all these tournaments. But now I already get used to
(02:37):
this a little bit. I start to feel the atmosphere more,
and I start to kind of feel like I start
to belong here. It's not like I'm new anymore and
like new surprise or something. And yeah, that felt like
(02:57):
a dream. But now I get used to this a
little bit more, and it just feels like my life.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Now you're joining us at when Wooden, where you reached
the fourth round last year as a qualifier. How have
you changed as both a player and as a person
since then.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Let's say as a player, I changed. I think I
became more aggressive and I know what I want on court.
It's not like I just go there and play and
try to enjoy and just win as many games as
I can. Just now I go and I know what
(03:35):
I want and I know what I also need if
I can say need. So yeah, I think that as
a player I became more kind of a straightforward and
I feel like this not helps me, but this is
a bit of next level for me, a bit of
(03:55):
an upgrade, yea. And as a person, yeah, a bit
more mature, as I said once and just and that's it. Actually,
I'm still the same as I was last year, just
maybe a bit more, yeah, mature, and I don't say
(04:17):
some crazy stuff anymore, but still the same old mirror in.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Your upgrade as a player as you call it. You
reached the semi finals of Roland Garross. You had wins
there over Victoria Azarenka and Arena Sablenka. How do you
look back on that experience.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Of course, looking back to that, it feels amazing, especially
if we start with the second round match against Azarenka.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
A little thriller there.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I knew, I mean, Grand Slam champion, she has won
a lot of tournaments, she has a lot of experience,
and I just went on court and I was like, well, Mirror,
you gotta do your best to to beat her. And
I felt like I did more than my best and
it was an amazing match. We finished at one am.
(05:08):
It was the latest finish of my career, and looking
back to that, I'm really really really happy about that,
and that much I think I'm gonna remember it for
a very very long time, and of course much against
Saballenka was also.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Kind of a thriller for me.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
But unfortunately I didn't really have time to enjoy the
moment when I was in Paris because we finished pretty late,
and then next day I had a semi final to play,
so I didn't really have time to enjoy the moment there.
But after I took some time to just realize and
understand what happened. But yet now it doesn't seem to
(05:51):
me like a surprise. I mean, of course it was
a tough match. She had some I don't know, trouble
with something, probably her stomach, and it was hard for
me to play because she called the physio a few
times and it's always hard to keep your focus on
a game. So yeah, I'm just happy about that win,
(06:12):
and uh yeah, happy about everything that I did during
French Open.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
And you're a very artistic and creative player. You're known
for being very intelligent on court. That draws a lot
of comparisons with Martina Hingis. How do you feel when
you're compared to Martina Hingers?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Well, I like that it's not a bad comparison, not
a bad compaiment comparison.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
In comparison. Yes, okay, so yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
I like that people see a bit of a same
kind of game between us, because I when I was younger,
I wanted to play like her because I felt like
we have a pretty much same a game style. But
she was kind of more aggressive and me me, I
(07:00):
would like play the point and build the point until
the last moment on the baseline until the girl is
dead there running and me I would just finish the point.
And her, I feel like she she goes for it
and she tries to finish the ball at the net,
and she's more aggressive. But yeah, it's it's really nice
(07:23):
that people compare us and they say some stuff they
see the same game style, and yeah that I like that.
It's not bad, you know, if people compare it to
a Grand Slam champion.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
So yeah, it's it's nice to hear.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
It's thirty years since your coach Conchitta man one Wood,
and what has she told you about that time? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Well, uh, first, of course, she's she's having a bit
of a flashbacks this trip, and yeah, we've talked a
little bit about that, and I watched the final with her,
she said, so I put on the video from YouTube
her final against Nevartilova, and she's like, no, no, don't
(08:09):
watch this, this moment start from this score in the
second set. I was like, uh, huh, okay, And of
course I put the moment that she didn't want on purpose.
But yeah, she of course tells me about the way
she played, but I feel like she doesn't really like
to talk about it because maybe she doesn't want to
feel old confer to me. I don't know, but yeah,
(08:32):
sometimes I just ask her how did it feel like?
Speaker 4 (08:35):
And what did you do there? And what did you
do then?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
And yeah, she shares some experience and emotions with me,
and it's really really nice to hear what she was
going through that time. And yeah, she's gonna play Legends
Mixed doubles, and she said, don't you ever come to
my match. I was like, why, but I want to
support you. She's like, no, I don't want to see
(08:59):
you there. And so it'll be on a second week.
I hope I'm still gonna be here, and I have
a plan. I'm gonna prepare a piece of paper, a
huge piece of paper. I will write con Chita Martinez,
let's go, and I will go to her match and
I will waive this piece of paper that's like that
(09:21):
she can see me and I will be her number
one fan. So yeah, that will be nice if we're
still gonna be here.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
That speaks a lot about the strength of your relationship. Yeah,
you've reached the second week of the Istra and open
when and Roland garross every Grand Slam surface, which one
do you must love to play on?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Well, that's actually a really hard question. Before I would
say clay right away, but now I when I play
on hardcourt, I miss clay court so much. But when
I play on clay court, I want to go back
on hardcourt because yeah, just like the sound when somebody
plays on hard court. But when I play on on
(10:06):
heart or on clay, I want to go on grass
because I really like the sound when the people play
and when they move on court. It's so soft and
it actually depends But yeah, I don't even have a
favorite service actually, because it also depends on on a
time and on how I feel. So yeah, it's a
(10:29):
really complicated question for me, but I would say that
I love them all.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Are you still studying and do you still hide chemistry?
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Yeah, yes, I still study, but now luckily we have
summer holidays at school. Yeah, and I still don't really
like chemistry because well that's really hard for me to
understand and I don't really have time to really go
into it. But yeah, probably when after I don't know,
(10:58):
maybe when I finished career, I will be like forty
forty three. Maybe then I will have a wish and
desire to go and study chemistry, but I don't think so.
So yeah, I'm still studying and luckily I don't have
to do anything now anymore.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
When we talked earlier in the year at Brisbane and
you were reading Gone with the Wind at the time, I'm.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Reading second part, Yes, don't tell me what's going to happen.
But yeah, I enjoy reading sometimes. It really helps me
to put some nervous moments aside and to focus. And
I when I read, I have I think I have
a pretty good imagination, So when I read, I have
(11:42):
like pictures and everything in my head, and I imagine
that I'm there and I'm reading and just looking at
them kind of like I'm with them. So yes, I
sometimes I really like to read. And this is a
very very good book and I really like it, So yes,
hopefully I can finish it soon.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
You've achieved such a lot in such a short amount
of time. What's what's your tennis dream?
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Well, of course, I think if you ask every tennis player,
they will say that their tennis dream probably to be
number one and to win ALAM or to win Olympics.
But me, I would say that after I finished my career,
I just want to be remembered for a very very
(12:31):
long time, and I want to be remembered as a
champion and as a player who never never give up,
as a player who people look up to. And I
would say that this is one of my dreams that
I really want to accomplish and I really want them
(12:52):
to happen.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
So yeah, that would be awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Well, it was such a pleasure to catch up with
Mira at Wimwood, and she is such a wise head
on young shoulders. It's hard to believe that she only
turns seventeen in April, and you know, we see that
in her tennis and in her results. But at the
same time, it's really refreshing that she's such a you know,
still a teenager who you know, studies, enjoys life, reads
(13:22):
in her spare time.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Yeah, I agree, it was really cool to hear how
excited she was or grateful to have the time with you,
how she thanked you at the beginning of the interview,
and then she just does have like a unique perspective.
It's that kind of curious, wide eyed, but also, as
you said, mature for someone who's seventeen. It's just her
answers are quite unique in tennis media. When I listen
to her speak, there's something really refreshing about them, So
(13:45):
I enjoyed that a lot.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yeah, it was a lot of fun to do that,
and she also has a real gratitude as well, so
it's really lovely to see.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
And on that note, you can join us again next
week for another episode of the sit Down on Monday,
but if you'd like to hear more from me, I'll
actually be back on Thursday, hosting in place of John
for aoshow weekly.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Details for how to contact us are in the show notes,
and please remember to subscribe, rate, and review. See you
next week, Matt
Speaker 1 (14:07):
See you then view
Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Sitdown.
I'm Matt Trolo, a writer for oz open dot com, and.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm Viv Christie, managing editor of Australian tennis magazine.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Good to see.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Viv.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Can you tell us why we're sitting down with Mira
Andreva this week?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Well, I was lucky enough to sit down with Mira
at Wimbledon when I was there a few weeks ago.
And yeah, Mira is a great personality, as we know
on the women's tour. You know, she brings a lot
of fighting spirit, big stage personality to all of her matches.
And yeah, she's just really one for us to keep
an eye on.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Good timing this week because she's just won an Olympic
silver medal with Diana Schnader in the women's doubles in Paris,
and also that was hot off the heels of her
first wto title.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Mira, thank you for your time today. It's great to
have you as a guest on the sit Down. I
wonder if you could start by sharing with our listeners
how you had your start in tennis.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I started playing tennis when I was six years old,
but I spent like three years before in the tennis
court because my older sister she started playing as well.
She was she started when she was around five, and
so yeah, since I'm three years old, I've been spending
some time on a tennis court. But I wish I
(01:20):
would have started earlier. But I remember that I couldn't
hold a racket in my hand. It was too heavy
and it would just keep falling down. So yeah, I
started when I was six. I started in Siberia, in Krasnoyarsk,
is the city where we come from, and yeah, that's
basically it. After we moved to south of Russia the
(01:44):
city named Sochi, and since then we lived there for
five six years and after now we live in Khan
for I don't know, almost three years now.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Already you started with when you was six, as you say,
and now you're seventeen, so that's barely ten years. And
in that time you've had wins over top ten opponents,
including your idol on Jibba, and reach the semifinals at Rollandaros.
Does it ever feel like a bit of a dream?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
At first, it did, and it still feels like a dream,
of course, because I've been watching these tournaments when I
was a kid on a TV having my breakfast before
I would go to school. So of course it feels
like a dream to me to be here and play
all these tournaments. But now I already get used to
(02:37):
this a little bit. I start to feel the atmosphere more,
and I start to kind of feel like I start
to belong here. It's not like I'm new anymore and
like new surprise or something. And yeah, that felt like
(02:57):
a dream. But now I get used to this a
little bit more, and it just feels like my life.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Now you're joining us at when Wooden, where you reached
the fourth round last year as a qualifier. How have
you changed as both a player and as a person
since then.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Let's say as a player, I changed. I think I
became more aggressive and I know what I want on court.
It's not like I just go there and play and
try to enjoy and just win as many games as
I can. Just now I go and I know what
(03:35):
I want and I know what I also need if
I can say need. So yeah, I think that as
a player I became more kind of a straightforward and
I feel like this not helps me, but this is
a bit of next level for me, a bit of
(03:55):
an upgrade, yea. And as a person, yeah, a bit
more mature, as I said once and just and that's it. Actually,
I'm still the same as I was last year, just
maybe a bit more, yeah, mature, and I don't say
(04:17):
some crazy stuff anymore, but still the same old mirror in.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Your upgrade as a player as you call it. You
reached the semi finals of Roland Garross. You had wins
there over Victoria Azarenka and Arena Sablenka. How do you
look back on that experience.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Of course, looking back to that, it feels amazing, especially
if we start with the second round match against Azarenka.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
A little thriller there.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I knew, I mean, Grand Slam champion, she has won
a lot of tournaments, she has a lot of experience,
and I just went on court and I was like, well, Mirror,
you gotta do your best to to beat her. And
I felt like I did more than my best and
it was an amazing match. We finished at one am.
(05:08):
It was the latest finish of my career, and looking
back to that, I'm really really really happy about that,
and that much I think I'm gonna remember it for
a very very long time, and of course much against
Saballenka was also.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Kind of a thriller for me.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
But unfortunately I didn't really have time to enjoy the
moment when I was in Paris because we finished pretty late,
and then next day I had a semi final to play,
so I didn't really have time to enjoy the moment there.
But after I took some time to just realize and
understand what happened. But yet now it doesn't seem to
(05:51):
me like a surprise. I mean, of course it was
a tough match. She had some I don't know, trouble
with something, probably her stomach, and it was hard for
me to play because she called the physio a few
times and it's always hard to keep your focus on
a game. So yeah, I'm just happy about that win,
(06:12):
and uh yeah, happy about everything that I did during
French Open.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
And you're a very artistic and creative player. You're known
for being very intelligent on court. That draws a lot
of comparisons with Martina Hingis. How do you feel when
you're compared to Martina Hingers?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Well, I like that it's not a bad comparison, not
a bad compaiment comparison.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
In comparison. Yes, okay, so yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
I like that people see a bit of a same
kind of game between us, because I when I was younger,
I wanted to play like her because I felt like
we have a pretty much same a game style. But
she was kind of more aggressive and me me, I
(07:00):
would like play the point and build the point until
the last moment on the baseline until the girl is
dead there running and me I would just finish the point.
And her, I feel like she she goes for it
and she tries to finish the ball at the net,
and she's more aggressive. But yeah, it's it's really nice
(07:23):
that people compare us and they say some stuff they
see the same game style, and yeah that I like that.
It's not bad, you know, if people compare it to
a Grand Slam champion.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
So yeah, it's it's nice to hear.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
It's thirty years since your coach Conchitta man one Wood,
and what has she told you about that time? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Well, uh, first, of course, she's she's having a bit
of a flashbacks this trip, and yeah, we've talked a
little bit about that, and I watched the final with her,
she said, so I put on the video from YouTube
her final against Nevartilova, and she's like, no, no, don't
(08:09):
watch this, this moment start from this score in the
second set. I was like, uh, huh, okay, And of
course I put the moment that she didn't want on purpose.
But yeah, she of course tells me about the way
she played, but I feel like she doesn't really like
to talk about it because maybe she doesn't want to
feel old confer to me. I don't know, but yeah,
(08:32):
sometimes I just ask her how did it feel like?
Speaker 4 (08:35):
And what did you do there? And what did you
do then?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
And yeah, she shares some experience and emotions with me,
and it's really really nice to hear what she was
going through that time. And yeah, she's gonna play Legends
Mixed doubles, and she said, don't you ever come to
my match. I was like, why, but I want to
support you. She's like, no, I don't want to see
(08:59):
you there. And so it'll be on a second week.
I hope I'm still gonna be here, and I have
a plan. I'm gonna prepare a piece of paper, a
huge piece of paper. I will write con Chita Martinez,
let's go, and I will go to her match and
I will waive this piece of paper that's like that
(09:21):
she can see me and I will be her number
one fan. So yeah, that will be nice if we're
still gonna be here.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
That speaks a lot about the strength of your relationship. Yeah,
you've reached the second week of the Istra and open
when and Roland garross every Grand Slam surface, which one
do you must love to play on?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Well, that's actually a really hard question. Before I would
say clay right away, but now I when I play
on hardcourt, I miss clay court so much. But when
I play on clay court, I want to go back
on hardcourt because yeah, just like the sound when somebody
plays on hard court. But when I play on on
(10:06):
heart or on clay, I want to go on grass
because I really like the sound when the people play
and when they move on court. It's so soft and
it actually depends But yeah, I don't even have a
favorite service actually, because it also depends on on a
time and on how I feel. So yeah, it's a
(10:29):
really complicated question for me, but I would say that
I love them all.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Are you still studying and do you still hide chemistry?
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Yeah, yes, I still study, but now luckily we have
summer holidays at school. Yeah, and I still don't really
like chemistry because well that's really hard for me to
understand and I don't really have time to really go
into it. But yeah, probably when after I don't know,
(10:58):
maybe when I finished career, I will be like forty
forty three. Maybe then I will have a wish and
desire to go and study chemistry, but I don't think so.
So yeah, I'm still studying and luckily I don't have
to do anything now anymore.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
When we talked earlier in the year at Brisbane and
you were reading Gone with the Wind at the time, I'm.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Reading second part, Yes, don't tell me what's going to happen.
But yeah, I enjoy reading sometimes. It really helps me
to put some nervous moments aside and to focus. And
I when I read, I have I think I have
a pretty good imagination, So when I read, I have
(11:42):
like pictures and everything in my head, and I imagine
that I'm there and I'm reading and just looking at
them kind of like I'm with them. So yes, I
sometimes I really like to read. And this is a
very very good book and I really like it, So yes,
hopefully I can finish it soon.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
You've achieved such a lot in such a short amount
of time. What's what's your tennis dream?
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Well, of course, I think if you ask every tennis player,
they will say that their tennis dream probably to be
number one and to win ALAM or to win Olympics.
But me, I would say that after I finished my career,
I just want to be remembered for a very very
(12:31):
long time, and I want to be remembered as a
champion and as a player who never never give up,
as a player who people look up to. And I
would say that this is one of my dreams that
I really want to accomplish and I really want them
(12:52):
to happen.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
So yeah, that would be awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Well, it was such a pleasure to catch up with
Mira at Wimwood, and she is such a wise head
on young shoulders. It's hard to believe that she only
turns seventeen in April, and you know, we see that
in her tennis and in her results. But at the
same time, it's really refreshing that she's such a you know,
still a teenager who you know, studies, enjoys life, reads
(13:22):
in her spare time.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Yeah, I agree, it was really cool to hear how
excited she was or grateful to have the time with you,
how she thanked you at the beginning of the interview,
and then she just does have like a unique perspective.
It's that kind of curious, wide eyed, but also, as
you said, mature for someone who's seventeen. It's just her
answers are quite unique in tennis media. When I listen
to her speak, there's something really refreshing about them, So
(13:45):
I enjoyed that a lot.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yeah, it was a lot of fun to do that,
and she also has a real gratitude as well, so
it's really lovely to see.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
And on that note, you can join us again next
week for another episode of the sit Down on Monday,
but if you'd like to hear more from me, I'll
actually be back on Thursday, hosting in place of John
for aoshow weekly.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Details for how to contact us are in the show notes,
and please remember to subscribe, rate, and review. See you
next week, Matt
Speaker 1 (14:07):
See you then view
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Dateline NBC
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New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!