Andreeva: "I have a kind of pressure because people expect certain things from me"

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Mirra Andreeva will play her first WTA 1000 final in a few hours at the Dubai tournament, something many expected from the Russian in her career. Andreeva has been demonstrating for some time now that she has what it takes to succeed. Just check a statistic that makes her the youngest finalist in a tournament of this category at 17 years and 2 months old. Moreover, on her way to that final, Mirra had to defeat top players and Grand Slam winners such as Iga Swiatek, Marketa Vondrousova, and Elena Rybakina.

Not bad for a young player who has been captivating the tennis world with many of her performances for a couple of years now. For example, let's remember one of them that took place at Roland Garros last year, when she reached the semifinals after defeating Aryna Sabalenka. But focusing on this season, the Russian hadn't been able to showcase her potential, which was kept hidden until now. Her participation in the previous WTA 1000 tournament in Doha wasn't very significant as she fell in the second round. That's why Andreeva approached the Dubai tournament with a different mindset: to focus on the journey, not worrying too much about the results, and enjoying playing the game.

"Honestly, after playing in Doha and losing in a very tough second round despite having many opportunities, I felt a bit down. Not exactly down, but I thought: 'well, maybe this time I'm not playing my best tennis, so it's okay'. Last year, I didn't perform well on these Dubai courts, so I thought: 'well, it's fine, never mind. I'll just play and see what happens'. In the end, when you don't dwell on what's going to happen, it often turns out to be one of the best tournaments of your career. I don't know if it's a paradox or something, but that's how it is," she told the WTA.

Her way of dealing with pressure

Andreeva cannot help but feel the weight of pressure on her shoulders to continue making history. Whatever happens in the final against Clara Tauson, the Russian will be the new world number 11 at least, achieving her personal best ranking. If she wins the title, she will surpass Paula Badosa to break into the top 10, a short-term achievable goal. However, it's common to hear her fellow players say that Mirra will be the world number 1 in the future, like a promising young star.

"Now I feel some kind of pressure because people expect certain things from me. People say: 'she will be number one, she will win Grand Slams, it will be great'. It's easier for me to think that these people say this because they are probably scared of my style of play. It helps me step onto the court with some anger, not to prove to everyone that I can really do it, but to prove to myself that I am strong enough to handle the pressure and win these high-quality matches," she confessed.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Andreeva: "Tengo una especie de presión porque la gente espera ciertas cosas de mí"