Mirra Andreeva Acknowledges Mental Hurdles in Match Against Sister

Teenage tennis sensation Mirra Andreeva recently achieved a world ranking of number seven after a string of victories against top-tier players. However, a recent match at the Stuttgart Open presented a unique challenge: facing her older sister, Erika.

The highly anticipated sibling rivalry was cut short when Erika, 20, had to withdraw due to a knee injury while trailing 6-2, 1-0.

Despite her recent triumphs, including wins against world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek at Indian Wells, Mirra, 17, admitted that competing against her sister introduced a different kind of pressure.

“For me, 75%-80% is about my mental preparation,” Mirra stated. “You’re not only concentrating on your own game and how to defeat her, but also on her well-being. You find yourself wondering how she feels and what will happen after the match. These considerations make it almost impossible to fully focus on my own game when playing against her.”

The sisters had previously clashed in Wuhan the previous year, where Erika, currently ranked 90 places below Mirra, emerged victorious in straight sets.

Mirra disclosed that she was aware of Erika’s knee issues since they were sharing a room. She also expressed satisfaction in securing her first win against her sister, even though it occurred under less-than-ideal circumstances.

“We’ve practiced together many times since we were younger, but Wuhan last year was our first official match. Usually, we just play a few games or tiebreaks during practice sessions,” Mirra explained.

“Most of the time, she wins about 90% of the time against me. This is the first time I’ve actually won a set against her.”

“I know that if she was at 100%, the score and the match would have been very different. But I’m confident we’ll have many more opportunities to compete and demonstrate our best tennis.”

Mirra Andreeva’s next opponent is compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 16.