(VIDEO) "I guess you carried the team": Mirra Andreeva roasts coach Conchita Martinez's part in Jelena Dokic doubles team in hilarious moment

Mirra Andreeva continued her impressive Australian Open campaign with a 6–3, 6–4 win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse, booking her place in the fourth round and delighting the Rod Laver Arena crowd — before turning her post-match interview into a playful exchange with coach Conchita Martínez.

The 18-year-old, playing on Rod Laver Arena for the first time this year, admitted she felt the nerves of a late-night slot but was grateful the fans stayed to support her.

“Of course, it feels very special,” Andreeva said. “Even though I was a little nervous to play that late after the men, thanks to Alex that he kept things short, so we didn’t have to wait for so long. The atmosphere was amazing. Thank you guys for staying so late — I really appreciate that you stayed and supported me tonight.”

On court, Andreeva faced Ruse for the first time and was tested by the Romanian’s power throughout the match. She explained that neutralising Ruse’s aggression was the key tactical focus.

“I knew that she likes to play aggressive, she’s a big hitter, so our plan was basically to try to neutralise her groundstrokes,” she said. “She started pretty well and maintained her level throughout the whole match. I’m super happy that I won today.”

Andreeva admitted she felt the pressure late on, briefly becoming passive before pushing herself to stay aggressive.

“In the end, I got a little bit tight. I started to play really passive, but I’m happy that I forced myself to go for my shots, even though it was the last game.”

The victory marked Andreeva’s seventh fourth-round appearance at a Grand Slam — a remarkable statistic for an 18-year-old, making her the youngest active player to reach that milestone. “Lately, I’m super proud of myself,” she said. “I’m learning how to appreciate myself more and give myself more credit, not just to my team. It’s a good statistic — it’s very nice to hear.”

While she was quick to praise her support system — particularly her mother, Andreeva couldn’t resist poking fun when the conversation turned to Martínez, her coach and former world No.2.

Asked to give her team some credit, Andreeva smiled. “My mum for sure, 100%. I give her all the credit,” she said, before adding that Martínez and her fitness coach were “improving”. “It’s not bad, it’s okay — could have been worse — but we’re working on it,” she joked.

The banter escalated when the interviewer revealed they had played doubles with Martínez some 25 years ago, long before Andreeva was born. “I would never say that,” Andreeva laughed. “I would say it was like five years ago, to be honest. I didn’t know that, but I hope she was okay.”

When told Martínez had reached the Roland Garros final in doubles, Andreeva replied with a grin: “I guess you carried the team.”

She quickly backtracked, though, when the interviewer apologised. “Actually, no — she really carried me,” Andreeva admitted. “I was younger, so yes, she did.”

The light-hearted mood continued as Andreeva was asked about her unusual pre-match warm-up, which saw her pushing Martínez around on a chair and pretending to take phone calls in the gym. “That’s our routine,” she said. “We were alone in the gym, so it was kind of my opportunity to do something to annoy people. I was too shy to call an actual person, so I just pretended but they believed me.” She added with a laugh: “It’s one of our routines, to just fool around and really do nothing.”