Andreeva Reveals Two Sporting Legends as Her References to Win the Title
The Russian lifted the first title of her young career in Dubai. She talked about the prize money received and how she found motivation in two sports superstars.
Mirra Andreeva has already claimed her first title, and she did it at one of the major events on the calendar, the WTA 1000 Dubai. The Russian displayed superstar tennis throughout the week, defeating Elina Avanesian, Marketa Vondrousova, Peyton Stearns, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Clara Tauson in the final. She only dropped one set against Rybakina in the semifinals (6-4 4-6 6-3), and the early hard work is starting to pay off for the most promising player on the circuit.
The beginning of the year for Mirra couldn't be better. The namesake of Conchita Martínez won the doubles title in Brisbane with Diana Shnaider, fell to Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the Australian Open, and clinched the WTA 1000 Dubai title. Despite not yet being 18 years old, she has already opened her trophy cabinet in a week where she overcame three Grand Slam champions en route to victory. The Russian, utterly disbelieving of her success, went through the press conference in the Arab country.
- '0.0' Celebration
Being under legal drinking age, Mirra's dream of toasting with a drink after her victory will have to wait: "I had been dreaming of having a press conference with a title by my side for a long time. It finally happened! Still, I always see winners drinking Champagne. I'm not 18 yet, when I turn 18 in April and win a tournament, you will see me with a glass of Champagne at the press conference. Meanwhile, I'll have to celebrate with Coke Zero," she said jokingly.
- $600,000 Cash Prize
Mirra's Dubai title comes with nearly $600,000 in prize money, which seems a bit overwhelming for her: "I still don't know what I want. Right now, I think about the prize and feel that I have everything I ever wanted. I've already achieved my goal for the year by winning a title, I have my family traveling with me, a good team... I don't know what else I need. I feel happy, and that's all I want."
- Motivation found in LeBron James and Roger Federer
Mirra's week has been exceptional, partly due to her revealing that she watched videos of the match where Roger Federer defeated Rafa Nadal in the semifinals of the 2017 Australian Open: "I thought: God... how can someone play so well? It's extraordinary," she marveled about the Swiss.
She also drew inspiration from NBA star LeBron James, another of her role models: "It's easy to play well when everything is going your way and you feel the ball nicely. For me, the challenge lies in staying positive and mentally at 100% when things don't go my way. Today, I didn't feel good on the court and missed things I normally don't miss, but I told myself not to let negativity overpower me. I chose to be 100% mentally, fight for every point, and put mistakes behind me to be ready for the next point. I've heard many interviews with LeBron James where he says it's very easy to play well when everything is in your favor, but what makes you a champion is giving your best when you don't feel good, so that's what I tried to do today."
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Andreeva revela a dos leyendas del deporte como sus referencias para alzar el título