Mirra Andreeva opens up on being ‘a brat’ and ‘nervous’ on day of Indian Wells final

Mirra Andreeva revealed she was “super nervous” throughout the Indian Wells final and even had a scene on the morning of the final but simply managed to stay level-headed and execute her game plan. 

Early on in the match, the 17-year-old missed out on four break points in the fifth game of the first set before Aryna Sabalenka collected back-to-back breaks to win the opener 6-2. 

In the second set, Andreeva also didn’t convert some of her early break point chances but finally took the Belarusian’s serve in the third game and then served her way into a third set. There, she broke the top seed three times to complete her comeback win and clinch her maiden Indian Wells title.

Later in her press, she was asked by a reporter how she got to be “so free and relaxed” during the second and third sets. 

“That’s not true. I didn’t feel relaxed. The whole match I felt super nervous. After the first set, I just realized, that, oh, well, what I do now, it doesn’t work, so I have to change something,” the new world No. 6 admitted.

Andreeva on being called ‘a brat’ by coach Conchita Martinez 

Although the new two-time WTA 1000 champion winner was coming off several big wins – including consecutive wins over Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina – she still felt extremely nervous and anxious after waking up on Sunday. Coach and 1994 Wimbledon champion Martinez tried to help but it wasn’t an easy task.

“When I’m nervous, I kind of tend to close my personality a little bit, so I don’t let anybody in. You know, I don’t really talk much. I think Conchita tried to kind of relax, kind of create a nice and relaxed atmosphere around us today, but in the morning it was a bit tough for me, because I was nervous. But I think that she tried her best. In the end, she did good with it,” the 17-year-old explained.

Andreeva now heads to Miami on a 12-match winning streak and with a chance to win her third WTA 1000 title before her 18th birthday.

​Tennis World USA


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