Andreeva and her inspiration in Federer to win in Paris: "I wanted to behave like him"

Carlos Navarro | 6 Jun 2026 | 19.39

Mirra Andreeva, champion in Paris of her first Slam. Source: Getty

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After several years of hard falls, of seeing how people stopped believing in her 'prodigy' status, of doubts about certain shots and her mental strength, Mirra Andreeva has entered the tennis Olympus. It didn't take much time to silence the haters, specifically just over a year, turning her season around in recent months and doing monumental work that resulted, unsurprisingly, in her first Grand Slam title.

Roland Garros 2026 has been the confirmation that there is something very special in Mirra's tennis, a conviction and determination in her shots and her dominance that can elevate her game to another dimension. She didn't hesitate in her first time on this stage, sweeping Chwalinska and falling to the ground in a scene similar to that of her great role model, Maria Sharapova, when she conquered Wimbledon as a teenager. She spoke about Maria in her first Grand Slam press conference, but the topics went much further: a conversation with Conchita Martínez, the architect of this triumph; advice from Svetlana Kuznetsova that motivated her even more before stepping onto the court... and a curious premise based on Roger Federer that provided her with the necessary peace of mind to face an event of this magnitude.

Andreeva reveals what Conchita Martínez said after winning her first Grand Slam

- What being a Grand Slam champion means to her

"I still can't believe that I'm having a press conference with a Grand Slam trophy by my side. It was always one of the biggest dreams of my life. I am very happy to have given my best and to have been able to win this tournament. I did many visualization exercises before, not only for this tournament: I always had dreams, thoughts, about how it would happen, if it would happen, when, where... but the feeling in real life is much better than when you live it in your dreams. Looking at this trophy, realizing that it is real, and that I can call myself a Grand Slam champion... it's an incredible feeling."

- How have you dealt with the pressure and your relationship with your psychologist, whom you mentioned in the post-match speech

"I feel like I've dealt with my nerves a little better in the past two weeks. The start of the tournament was challenging, I won't lie to you. I've had moments of great excitement, also on the court. I talked to my psychologist before the semifinals and the final because I thought it would help me be in the mental state I would like for the most important matches of my life. I wanted to prepare myself in the best way. He gave me many tips and small techniques that I could use on the court to experience all of this more easily. I believe that, because of all this, he deserves a lot of credit."

- Does this title motivate you to win more, to not stop in your search for more Slams?

"I would say yes. These feelings are somewhat more special than usual. Honestly, I'm already thinking about how I'm going to prepare for the grass court season, how I'm going to play on grass. I feel like this is a bit addictive (smiles). I want to give my best to be able to experience it again."

- How did you prepare to face someone like Chwalinska, almost unknown before the tournament?

"I didn't speak with Diana (Shnaider, a great friend of hers who she faced in the semifinals) because... I don't know. If I were in her place, I would be very proud, but also very disappointed because I lost, so I didn't want to bother her. Maja has been playing impressive tennis. It's extremely difficult to reach the final from the qualifying rounds. I was nervous, I had never faced her before. I knew about her playing style from what Conchita had told me, but facing someone you've never faced in a Grand Slam final is very different."

I was nervous, and I think the conditions today were very tough because the wind was blowing strongly in both directions. There were moments when I couldn't tell which way the wind was going to blow. I'm happy to have dealt with all of this, to have adapted to the conditions perhaps a little faster than she did."

- On what it means for her relationship with Conchita Martínez to win a title like this

"It's very special for me to share my first Grand Slam title with her. We have done tremendous work on and off the court, we have experienced good and tough moments, especially towards the end of last year. Sharing something like this is fantastic, you can see how happy she is. She has already told me that she is very proud of me, and hearing those words from her is truly special for me."

- On how she overcame challenging moments in Madrid to later lift the champion title in Paris a month after

"I wouldn't say there was a big change, I wouldn't say I approached the matches completely differently. None of that. I decided that, as my psychologist says, you can always choose how you will be on the court, how you will play, and how you will behave as a person. I decided to be a fighter. I've also watched many of Roger's (Federer) matches here. I know I will never have his aura, no one will have his aura, but I wanted to behave on the court just like him because I loved watching him play when he was active."

That helped me a bit because I wanted to look good on the court, not appear as someone very frustrated or unhappy with my way of playing tennis. Also, in front of people, it's fantastic to see players giving their best, fighting, and competing. That's what I wanted to do, and that's what I focused on."

- On her growth as a future star since the age of 15 and all the talk about her since she rose to fame

"At first, I did feel like, wow, people knew me here and there. I have social networks, the Internet, the whole world knows me. At the same time, there came a moment when I wanted to forget about social networks, to pretend they don't exist. Anyway, I wouldn't say it bothered me a lot. To be honest with you, I like the attention. When people talked about me on social media, I always hit 'like'. There was a point in my career when I no longer wanted people to talk about me, but overall, I would say I've never really cared."

A message from our new champion, Mirra 🤳#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/1DjddrAUBZ
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2026

- Third youngest player to win a Slam in this century: the first one was Sharapova at Wimbledon. Did you think of her?

"Of course, I remember the moment when she won here. She has always played incredibly on clay. I knew that she was also here in Paris recently: hopefully, I don't know if she did, but hopefully she watched the final. I thought that if she was watching, it would be great to show a good level of play, good tennis. I also know that Sveta Kuznetsova was here too: she sent me a voice message before the match, sharing positive thoughts and giving me encouragement. She told me to be happy, that it's my first Grand Slam final, that it's exciting, but just to enjoy the moment. That also helped me a lot, hopefully both of them watched the final and enjoyed it."

- On winning a Grand Slam as a Russian and the ongoing absence of flags, and the controversy surrounding all this...

"Of course, we all hope for the war to end. I believe that no person would like there to be a war in this world. What I can say is that when I play tennis, all I think about is how to play, how to win, how to compete to secure victory. I don't think about all those things, as I have many things in my mind that I must focus on. I never think about those things when I play."

- On which Slam she would have liked to be her first and if she is happy that it is Roland Garros

"I always said it was something I didn't care about. A Grand Slam is a Grand Slam. Whatever comes first, I will be very happy with it. I feel very happy because it is in Paris, because I love playing on clay. I have played all my life on this surface and I can speak a little French, so it's the perfect Grand Slam for me to debut. I am very happy that it has been here".

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Andreeva y su inspiración en Federer para ganar en París: "Quería comportarme igual que él"

Mirra Andreeva