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