Andreeva and the controversy about schedules: "I need to have a little more experience to comment on these things"

Mirra Andreeva, little by little, is making a name for herself in the tennis world, whether it's for her stellar appearance at 16, her titles this year in Dubai and Indian Wells, or for already being ranked number 6 in the world at just 18 years old, having already defeated players like Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, or Iga Swiatek. It's still too early to confirm, but all signs point to the pupil of Conchita Martinez becoming one of the big stars on the circuit very soon. There's even talk of her candidacy to win Roland Garros, where she reached the semifinals last year.

All this makes her opinions on certain controversial topics have an impact. However, she tries to avoid any controversy by claiming that her short career and experience prevent her from speaking clearly about certain things. This was evident in one of the controversies of the tournament so far, the absence of women's matches in the evening session. And in the press conference following her victory over Ashlyn Krueger (6-3, 6-4), she talked about this case, her match, and the changes she has undergone in these two years as a professional tennis player.

Content after a hard-fought victory

"Today was a tough day. I am happy to have kept my composure during the match and to have overcome some minor difficulties throughout. She played very well. I think it was a very entertaining match. I am very happy to advance to the next round."

Struggles in the second set 

"I shook my head a couple of times because I wasn't very happy with what was happening. But yes, just a bit of emotion I showed. But then I was glad that I continued playing as if nothing had happened. With my serve, I can't say it was because of the sun. Maybe a bit of wind, as it was blowing everywhere. I couldn't tell if it was blowing, for example, against me or if it was blowing, I don't know, sideways. It was always changing. So it was a bit tricky. Afterward, I decided to play it safe and, in the end, I regained my serve."

Accepts the changing conditions usually found in Paris

"The first match was definitely a bit different. There was no sun. It was a bit cloudy. Today the weather has been great. For me, honestly, it doesn't make any difference. If it's sunny, great. If it's cloudy, it's also great because there's no sun, nothing will bother me. But today, even though there was sun, it didn't bother me at all."

Unconcerned about the schedules assigned to her

"For me, it really doesn't matter when I play. I know now that I probably won't play night sessions soon because I still have doubles. And today, after this, I'll have my doubles match. So for me, it really doesn't matter. If they put me in the night session, I'm happy. If they put me in the first match, it has been working well for me so far. Yes, it really doesn't matter. Whatever they decide, it's fine with me."

Accustomed to playing in the early morning

"I've noticed that most of the time I play the first round and, in the early rounds, I play the first match around 11:00 at Grand Slams. I don't know why, but probably, yes, because I have doubles later in the day, it makes sense to put me first. I don't like playing first because I don't like waking up early. But, you know, it has been working well so far, so, you know, I can't complain about it."

Ambiguous about the decision not to put women's matches in the evening session

"I really can't say anything because I feel I need a bit more experience to really comment on these things. I don't know. Maybe it would be great, of course, to put it on Philippe Chatrier, but I think maybe they had a reason to put, I don't know, Rune on Philippe Chatrier and her on Suzanne Lenglen. But in my case, if I were in that situation, I would love to play on Suzanne Lenglen because I also think it's a very nice court. But I think if I want to give my opinion on that, I need to play a bit more on the circuit to have more experience and be able to comment on these things."

Same as two years ago since her breakthrough

"Nothing has changed, just that I don't have to go to my school because I have finished. So thank God. I have one less problem. But yeah, honestly, nothing has changed. For now, I still do nothing. When I finish matches or training, I go back home or to the hotel and, you know, rest, relax. I lie down in bed. Lately, I've been watching some TV series. I can say I started reading many books. My cousin gave me four books for my birthday. Now I'm also looking for a new book so that I'm not always looking at my phone and also to spend some high-quality time," says Andreeva, who still doesn't want to give her opinion on certain topics, she just prefers to play tennis.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Andreeva y la polémica de los horarios: "Necesito tener un poco más de experiencia para comentar estas cosas"