"The only reason I practice with her is because she has a dog": Andreeva, Kasatkina, and Conchita Martínez share funny moments in US Open training session

Mirra Andreeva jokes with Daria Kasatkina and talks about her coach Conchita Martinez in Dasha's new YouTube video Both players trained together ahead of the US Open and shared a lighthearted moment with the Spanish coach.

In the video, you can see Kasatkina and Andreeva training hard, with some laughs between points. Their respective coaches were also present: Flavio Cipolla for Kasatkina and Conchita Martínez for Andreeva.

A: "What do you want from me? You’ve already beaten me, leave me alone,” joked Andreeva when Kasatkina approached to interview her after practice.

K: “Why are you so angry?” asked the 25-year-old player. “You hit me in the ass with the ball on the court.”

A: “And who hit me in the leg?” Andreeva replied, explaining the hit she gave Kasatkina. “It was a pure accident, but I was pleased it happened that way,” the teenager joked.

The two Russians have shown great friendship in episodes of "What the Vlog" on Kasatkina's YouTube channel, which she shares with her girlfriend, figure skater Natalia Zabiiako, where they showcase the daily lives of tennis players on the WTA Tour.

K: “You play really well,” Kasatkina said.

A: “Leave me alone. If I play great and you beat me, what should I do? That means you play even better, right?” Andreeva responded.

K: “It doesn’t quite work that way, you know,” Kasatkina replied.

A: “I’m actually glad you beat me, because at Roland Garros you beat me too, and I kind of made it to the semifinals,” Andreeva added.

K: “F*ck, so that’s why you keep texting me to practice,” Kasatkina remarked.

A: “Yes, sometimes I specifically text you. I have a routine at every tournament: I practice with you, and then I go further in the tournament.”

Andreeva, who entered as the 21st seed, won her first-round match against Colombian Camila Osorio but was later defeated by local player Ashlyn Krueger 1-6, 4-6, exiting the tournament early. The teenager, who won the gold medal in doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympics alongside Diana Shnaider, partnered with another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and reached the third round before falling to the eventual runners-up Shuai Zhang and Kristina Mladenovic.

Later in the video, Andreeva commented to Kasatkina that she had previously trained with Caroline Garcia: “Well, then it’s clear why, two completely different playing styles,” Kasatkina replied.

A: “Yes, that’s exactly why I lost. I just couldn’t adjust. It’s not because you played well, it’s just that I...” Andreeva said with a hand gesture, “Unacceptable.”

In another part of the episode, Kasatkina asked Andreeva about her relationship with her coach Conchita Martinez. “You’re one of the few players on tour with a female coach. I was just wondering, do you prefer the female approach? And how is it different?” Kasatkina asked.

A: “Honestly, my first coach was a woman, and then everything... well, ‘everythink’ is two,” she laughed. “And now I’ve decided to try again with a woman, but I don’t really care. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a man or a woman. If it works, then everything’s great,” said the world No. 23.

“And we have such a connection. She even brought a dog. That’s the only reason I practice with her, because she has a dog,” Andreeva joked.

Later on, former French Open champion Conchita Martínez joined the conversation between the two Russian players. The Spaniard mentioned that, in her opinion, playing is better than coaching: “I would say, because on the court, if you’re playing, you make the decisions. When you're watching, you can’t get on the court to decide.”

In previous episodes of "What the Vlog," Andreeva told Kasatkina about her desire to have a dog, but her parents wouldn’t allow it. “Where’s your dog?” Kasatkina asked.

A: “What do you want from me? I’m 23rd now,” Andreeva replied.

K: “But what was the deal?”

A: “If I get into the top 20 by the end of the year, I get a dog. I was twenty-first, but Vika Azarenka was 20th,” concluded the disappointed Russian.

Both players will reunite at the WTA 1000 China Open starting on September 26. This will be the first tournament of the Asian swing for Andreeva, while Kasatkina will begin her tour a week earlier at the WTA 250 Seoul Open, where she will be the 5th seed.