"When I said that I was not joking": Mirra Andreeva immortalises Andy Murray comment to be with her at all times
WTA
Mirra
Andreeva (No. 43) recently commented on how she has immortalized Andy Murray's
praise towards her. The 16-year-old teenager has had a great performance at the
Madrid Open, with victories over Taylor Townsend (No. 58) and Linda Noskova
(No. 31), both coming from a set down.
The
young Russian marks one year since her incredible 2023 Madrid Open campaign,
when in her first tournament as a professional, she reached the fourth round,
defeating two top-20 players along the way before being eliminated by eventual
champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Andy Murray's praise for Andreeva
The British player praised the young Russian
earlier this year during the Australian Open. On that occasion, Andreeva had a
notable performance with victories over Bernarda Pera 7-5, 6-2, and then over
the 6th seed Ons Jabeur by 6-0, 6-2. In the third round, she had to turn the
match around against Diane Parry to secure the victory in the third set
tie-break.
Murray
was surprised by Andreeva's resilience to stay in the match against Parry despite
being in an almost unrecoverable disadvantage in the third set: "Maybe she
turned the match around because she is hard on herself and demands more of
herself when she’s losing/playing badly? Winner," Murray wrote at the time
on X (formerly Twitter).
Andreeva
reached the fourth round of the Australian Open but was eliminated by the 9th
seed Barbora Krejcikova after a great tournament. While competing in Melbourne,
the teenager mentioned that she would keep Murray's message with her: "I
will try to print it out somehow. I don't know, I will put it in a frame. I
will bring it everywhere with me. I will maybe put it on the wall so I can see
it every day," Andreeva said.
Andreeva reached her career-best ranking in February 2024 as the world No. 33.
In an
interview in Madrid with Tennis Channel after her recent victory over Noskova,
Andreeva reflected on her feelings about having the three-time Grand Slam champion
Andy Murray as her fan:
"When I said that I will put his comment in a
frame, I actually have a frame now with his comment inside. It was a gift from
my friend and she gave me a frame with his comment inside and it's always with
me. It's in my bag. So, yeah, when I said that I was not joking. We did it for
real," Andreeva told the Tennis Channel.
"After he won a challenger, I texted him,” she
revealed on Tuesday. “I said, ‘Congratulations.’ He actually answered me, so I
was really happy about it. He said, ‘Thank you, and good luck in Roland
Garros.’ Maybe that's why I'm playing that good now!" Andreeva told the
Tennis Channel.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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