There’s something about Mirra: Why this teen phenom has grand slam winners in awe

There’s something about Mirra – and everyone knows it.

Unapologetic feminist and women’s tennis tragic Andy Murray, for one, has already given 16-year-old phenom Mirra Andreeva his stamp of approval, much to the Siberian-born teenager’s delight.

Mirra Andreeva is winning everyone over with her mature play and press conference quips.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“Honestly, I didn’t really think that he would watch a match, then after he would tweet … I will try to print it out somehow,” Andreeva said, her face lighting up. “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.”

It was a classic answer from Andreeva, a fast-rising talent likened to former teen queen Martina Hingis – more on that later – and who has journalists two, three and four times her age eating out of the palm of her hand.

Andreeva already told us how much more mature she was than a year ago. “You’re only 16, Mirra,” on-court interviewer and retired British star Laura Robson reminded her. “But last year, I was 15!” she responded.

There is only a small element of surprise about what Andreeva has achieved this week.

She was runner-up in an engrossing Australian Open girls’ final 12 months ago, then extraordinarily ended last year inside the top 50 of the WTA rankings, including charging from qualifying to the last 16 at Wimbledon.

Andreeva’s back at that stage in the women’s draw at Melbourne Park, and has already established a fear factor, judging by her next opponent Barbora Krejcikova’s reaction on learning she was playing her.

Ninth-seeded Krejcikova is a former world No.2 and won the 2021 Roland-Garros title, yet she had dread written all over her face about taking on Andreeva, who conceded only seven games across four sets in two clashes with the Czech star last year.

One of them was during that aforementioned Wimbledon run.

Andreeva’s grand slam breakothrough came at last year’s Wimbledon.Credit: Getty Images

“I barely won a couple of games the last two times I played her, so we will see,” Krejcikova said. “It’s another difficult match. She’s playing well, and she’s very young and fearless.”

Andreeva has experienced a whole gamut of emotions at the Australian Open since last year, with tears flowing after her three-set defeat to best friend Alina Korneeva, followed by the exhilaration this week of demolishing triple-grand slam finalist Ons Jabeur for the loss of two games in 54 breezy minutes.

“I mean, I’m 16. Why do I have to think about the rankings?”

Mirra Andreeva on her rapid rise through women’s tennis

Then, of course, she somehow rallied from a 1-5 final-set deficit on Friday to eliminate Frenchwoman Diane Parry.

Along the way, Andreeva tossed her racquet in disgust, as well as biting so hard into her left arm that she left a mark. It is a frustrating sport, particularly for a teenager experiencing many of these things for the first time.

“At 5-1, I don’t know, I just tried to win at least one more game to not go 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. What is that score?” Andreeva said, again, as only she could.

“I just tried to win one more game to at least be 6-2 in the third. Then [at] 5-2, she has match points. I’m going to the net. I’m thinking, ‘Am I crazy?’. I’m going to the net on match point. But then she missed a ball.

“The adrenaline [kicked in], the desire, the feeling that I want to win ... I feel like when you’re coming back from this score, it’s kind of easy on a mental side for you. It’s easier than for your opponent, for sure, because you’re on the run, you’re having all the adrenaline. That’s what I had today.”

Martina Hingis with one of her three Australian Open singles trophies.Credit: Ray Kennedy

Now, to explain Andreeva’s bemusement towards being at the net at such a crucial moment.

She ventured to that unfamiliar territory, at least for her, only nine times across the first two rounds before making it there on 18 occasions against Parry. This leads back to the Hingis comparison.

Australian doubles legend Todd Woodbridge, commentating on Andreeva at Wimbledon, noted similarities with her game to that of Hingis’, particularly her ability to change pace, redirect, and manoeuvre the ball.

Andreeva is enjoying Melbourne.Credit: Tennis Australia

Hingis likes what she sees of Andreeva, too: “It’s great to see a 16-year-old doing so well. I like her game, she’s a pretty girl, and it’s nice to see that it’s still possible being young and doing well.” Cue Andreeva’s reaction.

“I actually watched a lot of [Hingis’] matches. I heard that people compare me to her. I really like the way she plays,” Andreeva said. “But I think we’re a bit different, in a way that she plays smart. She kind of reads the game. I feel like she’s a bit more aggressive. She’s not afraid to go to the net. Me, I prefer to stay on the baseline.”

That conversation went down another rabbit hole, with Andreeva expressing her sympathy for Hingis’ 1999 Roland-Garros final defeat to German great Steffi Graf, a controversial match where the “Swiss Miss” challenged a line call and drew the crowd’s ire.

It is worth mentioning that Andreeva was not born until eight years after that match. But she watches loads of old matches, with her favourite the captivating 2017 Australian Open final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Andreeva is already projected to rise to about No.32 in the WTA rankings, and there is a scenario where she could end the tournament in the top 10 if she wins the title and other results go her way.

But the popular Russian did tell us, and herself, to stop thinking about such things. “I mean, I’m 16. Why do I have to think about the rankings?”

This begs another question: Does Andreeva ever think about the things she is missing out on, that “normal” girls her age are doing?

“Actually, no. I like being here. I like to travel all over the world. I’m OK with what’s happening,” she said. “But I didn’t really have time to think [about] what’s happening. I don’t think it’s a big deal. I mean, fourth round, yes, I’m 16, maybe it’s a bit new. Honestly, I don’t think I did something amazing.

“I’m just trying to win a match. I’m just trying to fight. Fourth round is nothing. Maybe if I win a slam [it will be significant, but] I have to win three more matches, and it’s really tough to win seven matches in a row.

“I have time to do it, I hope.”

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