Andreeva: "I am learning to be kinder to myself"

Fernando Murciego | 27 Sep 2025 | 09.58

Mirra Andreeva, happy after her debut at the WTA Beijing. Source: Getty

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It's been a while since we've seen Mirra Andreeva making headlines in the women's circuit, far from that scandalous first quarter where she clinched titles in Dubai and Indian Wells. Since then, we haven't seen her conquer any titles, but this week at WTA 1000 in Beijing, things might change. So far, her debut against Lin Zhu (6-2, 6-2) couldn't be more positive, although we know the difficulty of the test will increase. Jessica Bouzas awaits her in the next round, a first clash between the two that we will follow closely. But first, we hear the Russian reflect on her moment, her season, and her ambitions.

Victory against Zhu

"It was a good match to start the tournament, I knew it would be tough because she was playing at home, I thought people would support her more, which they did. I'm super happy with my performance, delighted to advance in the tournament."

Enjoys playing in China

"I played a singles match last year on the Diamond court with the roof open. We played at night, second match after 7:00 pm, I remember it very well. Today I played the first match at 11:00 with the roof closed, the conditions were different, it was very humid. I felt very hot on the court, knew what to expect, so I prepared for it, although I felt like I had showered because of the heat and humidity. Honestly, I like the heavier ball conditions, you have more time to think and create something on the court, I really enjoy playing in China. I'm happy, hope to play on a bigger court in my next match."

Dubai + Indian Wells Double

"I think I managed all that attention I was getting well, it was more the feeling of me putting pressure on myself, not so much external people, it was me expecting more from myself. Now I'm learning to be kinder to myself, give myself more time, not judge myself harshly or immediately. I'm learning new things, I can say everything is a bit easier now. Obviously, there are days when it's still difficult, but I keep improving to make it simpler, applying new techniques in my daily life."

An uneven season

"I wasn't playing badly all season, when I won those two tournaments, I was at the top of my game, but then some aspects got lost. Sometimes things work out, and other times everything gets tougher. I'm trying to get better every day, evolve in every tournament I play, rediscover that winning mentality. Compared to the beginning of the year, I think I've improved a lot, especially in decision-making, which is a good thing. I'm going to keep improving because there are still important tournaments to play this season, I still need to win some matches, hope I can do it."

Wants to be more aggressive

"At the beginning of the year, I tried to focus on being more aggressive, I remember seeing a post from the WTA where I was ranked first as the player with the most winners of the season. Seriously? Me? I was never famous for hitting many winners or being super aggressive, which was a good sign. Then I started to feel a bit of fear of losing, maybe making some mistakes, that's why I tend to step back at times to put the ball in play, something that doesn't work against the top players. Today I try to force myself to hit hard, go for my shots, even if I miss, it's better to fail like that than to be passive and just put the ball in play."

Mentality shift in 2025

"I've taken a step forward in everything, became more mature, no longer try to leave the court because I want to go home. For example, I now enjoy doing press, taking my time for lunch, or for each treatment. I do all the things, don't rush to get back and watch Netflix. I want to be professional and do all the right things, I'll have time later to do the rest of the things. My mentality has changed compared to 2024, where I only had one goal in mind: to be top20. I did it, and now what? I got a bit lost at that time. I can also say that my physique has improved, every little aspect helps to see progress and daily improvement, which gives me more motivation to keep working more."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Andreeva: “Estoy aprendiendo a ser más amable conmigo misma”

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