Mirra Andreeva: The subsequent Emma Raducanu proving a breath of recent air at French Open
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irra Andreeva could be one of the best new tennis participant you’ve by no means heard of, and a breath of recent air to go together with it as she takes this 12 months’s French Open by storm.
She waxed lyrical about assembly a “beautiful” Andy Murray on the Madrid Open the place the 16-year-old performed not too long ago, to which Murray contemplated how good a tennis participant she may finally develop into when she will get her eyes mounted.
And she has arrange a third-round match with one other participant she calls stunning in Coco Gauff who, at 19, appears virtually historical compared to the youthful teenager.
There are echoes of Emma Raducanu on the 2021 US Open within the effervescent approach that Andreeva has breezed via Paris so far. Like Raducanu, she needed to come via qualifying to make the principle draw and has not dropped a set in three qualifying and 5 important draw matches.
But Andreeva is doing it youthful nonetheless than the Briton, in reality the youthful participant within the French Open third spherical in practically 20 years.
Her press conferences in Paris have develop into must-watch occasions. In her one after beating Diane Parry yesterday, she lined every little thing from being a diva to assembly Novak Djokovic for the primary time whereas he was belting out a track within the hall at Roland Garros final 12 months.
But there isn’t any scarcity of ambition from her at what is barely her first Grand Slam. Asked for her dream, she mentioned: “I know that Djokovic, he did 22 Grand Slams… so I want to go until 25. If it will be possible, I don’t know.
“But I will just play. For now, my goal is to win match by match, to win the next match. If I win this match, to win the next match again. That’s it.”
There are echoes too of the Williams sisters – Andreeva’s 18-year-old sister Erika was additionally within the French Open important draw solely to be knocked out within the opening spherical.
Quite what success they may go on to have will develop into clear in time however they credit score their mom Raisa for his or her introduction to the game. An enormous Marat Safin fan, she launched the siblings to the game in Siberia to Sochi after which Cannes, France.
She confirmed sufficient within the junior ranks to be snapped up by the sports activities administration firm IMG earlier than she was even a youngster.
And in her first show-court look on Court Simonne-Mathieu yesterday, she appeared fully like she belonged on the massive stage.
She is a fan of Murray and, in flip, he’s of her. Repeatedly requested about her tackle him since their Madrid second, she mentioned: “What can I say about Andy Murray? He was just nice. I didn’t expect that he would be nice off the court because he always seems so focused and always into himself. So, I didn’t expect to see him so nice… he was smiling, and that’s what I liked.”
Facing Gauff tomorrow will likely be an undoubted step up in school. The pair have practised as soon as earlier than, and Andreeva was blown away by the extent of aggression from a participant who not so way back was tennis’ subsequent neatest thing.
As properly as enhancing her tennis and psychological method, her different main goal is to not get forward of herself.
“As my coach says, don’t be like a diva, stay humble all the time,” she mentioned. “I will just be me. I will not go out as a diva.”
To date, she has not seemingly put a foot incorrect each on and off court docket, even to the purpose of some diplomacy over the gamers she appeared as much as.
“Roger, he has always been my idol,” she mentioned. “He’s always been my No1 but, after Roland Garros 2022, when Rafa won it, I don’t know why but, in my head, everything is turned. Now Rafa and Roger, they’re in first place but I don’t want to offend Novak. So, let’s say they’re three on the first places.
“I like the way that he plays. He’s counter punching a lot, and he’s a good defender. He’s a good mover on the court so, yes, I like the way he plays.”