Andreeva: "Sometimes I forget that I am only 18 years old"

Fernando Murciego | 18 Feb 2026 | 08.00

Andreeva: "Sometimes I forget that I am only 18 years old." Source: Getty

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Mirra Andreeva has the mission this week to defend the title at the WTA 1000 in Dubai, a place where she has admitted to going through moments of high pressure after the good streak she had on this tour last season.

We are not aware of how difficult it is to be 18 years old and hold the position that Mirra Andreeva currently occupies. Very few tennis players can say they reached such heights at her age, but fans want more. So does she, although sometimes she forgets how incredibly young she is. In an interview with The National from the WTA 1000 in Dubai, the Russian confesses that there was a point last season where she felt that pressure very strongly. Did she think she was going to win everything she played? The answer is yes. Thankfully, she managed to escape that mindset. This week, as she has to defend the throne, she may feel something similar.

Media Spotlight from a Young Age

"I like the attention from people, from the media; I feel special when I arrive at a hotel and they see my face. It's nice to see these things, no matter how many times it happens. That also gives me more motivation to try to play well in every tournament I go to, or when I try to defend a title, ensuring that my face will be on the poster when the next season returns. Here in Dubai, for example, it has been very nice to see it."

Defending the Crown in Dubai

"Before landing here after Doha, I thought I would feel a lot of pressure for having to defend this title for the first time; it was the first time I had to face a tournament as the defending champion. However, now all I feel is excitement, I don't know why. I want to take it all a bit like a surprise. I think this is the same feeling I will have in Indian Wells in a few weeks."

Pressure to Perform Well the Previous Year

"In the end, it's a matter of time; you have to learn to deal with the pressure when you have to defend a title. If you want to win tournaments and be a great player, or be number one in the world, you're not going to win every tournament and then defend the title. It's a common feeling to experience, I think as soon as I understood that, all the other things started to become easier."

Mirra Andreeva competing during the February tour. Source: Getty

Mirra Andreeva confesses to having suffered the expectations of the tennis world

"After Dubai and Indian Wells, it was quite difficult to go to Miami, also because there wasn't much time to train there. People expected me to win in Miami as well, but all I could do was my best. I can't promise anything, but people expected me to win every tournament I played. I had never experienced this in my career, but now I know how it feels. I guess it was one of the lessons you have to go through to improve as a player."

Keeping Grounded at 18

"Sometimes I forget that I am still 18 years old. When I remember, suddenly I think: Why am I so stressed? I'm only 18; I have my whole career ahead of me. Sometimes, remembering this makes things easier."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Andreeva: “A veces se me olvida que solo tengo 18 años”