16-Year-Old Russian Tennis Prodigy Turns Sheepish Over Extremely Sad Australian Open Moment Last Year

Russian tennis prodigy, Mirra Andreeva, may be just 16, but she has already caught the attention of the tennis world. After turning pro in 2022, she had a breakthrough last year as she broke into the WTA top 100. In 2023, Andreeva flew higher as she earned victories over the likes of Leylah Fernandez. Although she had a wonderful season last year, Andreeva went through a saddening time during the 2023 Australian Open.

Andreeva reached the summit clash of the Grand Slam Down Under in girls’ singles but couldn’t overcome the challenge of Alina Korneeva. It was a heartbreaking moment for her, having come so close. Here’s what she said about that moment.

Mirra Andreeva gets candid

Earlier this week, the 16-year-old stunned Ons Jabeur, which now becomes her biggest career win. Subsequently, she was involved in an interview. During the interview, she revealed what she actually felt after her big win. However, she also talked about her last year’s performance.

Talking about her improvement, Andreeva said, “Today, I think I really like Ons and I think I did a good job today separating on the court and off the court, and last year it was tough for me to do.” Last year, Andreeva was defeated in the final match of the AO Juniors by Korneeva with a score of 7-6,4-6,5-7. The moment she was shown her video from this match, she gave a disappointed look and said, “Oh God”. 

Soon, Andreeva and the interviewer switched to looking at her happy image, to which the Russian sensation added, “That’s better, I like this more. Have you ever held a snake before? You have to do it. It was so soft. It started to move. The operator, she was making photos and she said ‘If it goes around your neck, we take photos and then we maybe help you’, so I was very nervous before that.”

Owing to her brilliant performances, Andreeva is one of the most talked about tennis players on the tennis circuit. Recently, she caused a massive upset. Subsequently, even the American tennis legend, Chris Evert, was full of praise for Mirra Andreeva.

Chris Evert praises Andreeva

The 16-year-old Russian star began her Australian Open campaign with a bang. She won her opening two matches comfortably in straight sets. Adding an element of strong surprise, she upset World Number 6, Ons Jabeur, in straight sets.

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Subsequently, Evert took to Twitter to share a comment about Andreeva’s wonderful performance. She said, “Mirra Andreeva is GOOD… Only 16, keep an eye on her!”

Mirra Andreeva will next face Diane Parry in the third-round match. It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on the top in this contest. What are your thoughts?

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