Mirra Andreeva is in action at Wimbledon today – and her coach Conchita Martinez has explained what the Russian is really like behind the scenes.
Andreeva is seeded seventh in the women’s singles and takes on American world No.55 Hailey Baptiste in the third round on Court 1 at 1pm UK time.
The 18-year-old, known for her love of Andy Murray, has already enjoyed a run to a Grand Slam semi-final, which came at last year’s French Open.
Her best Wimbledon performance to date came in 2023 as she reached the fourth round – in a match which saw her slapped with a £6,000 fine.
Andreeva was handed a point penalty after throwing a racket in frustration twice during her defeat in the last 16 to Madison Keys of the United States.
The teenager’s coach, Martinez, has spoken exclusively to Metro about Andreeva’s personality ahead of her third-round battle with Baptiste.
‘Mirra Andreeva has a lot to learn’
‘I have no complaints with Mirra,’ Martinez told Metro via BoyleSports, who offer the latest tennis odds.
‘Of course there are better days than others but I feel like we have a wonderful connection from the first day we started working together.
‘She listens and she lets me work. Her parents let me work and the freedom to try to take care of her career which is the only way for me to work because if they don’t let you work, then there is no point.
‘For me, it’s a dream. She has a lot to learn. There are some matches where she could be doing better but I’m sure this is going to come with age, but in every match, she needs to be competitive.’
Andreeva has a great chance to go far in the women’s singles at this year’s Championships with many high-profile seeds crashing out in the early rounds.
Second-seed Gauff and world No.3 Jessica Pegula crashed out in the first round, as did fifth-seed Zheng Qinwen and world No.9 Paula Badosa.
Jasmine Paolini, seeded fourth and last year’s runner-up, lost in the second round while world No.6 Madison Keys was eliminated in the third round.
Those results mean Andreeva is now the second highest ranked player left in the draw behind world No.1 and top-seed Aryna Sabalenka.
‘If she puts her mind to it, she can beat anybody’
Quizzed if Andreeva is a genuine contender at Wimbledon this year, Martinez added: ‘She didn’t start well on grass this year. I said to her, let’s play two tournaments before Wimbledon this year, we only played one grass tournament before Wimbledon last year so let’s make the most of it.
‘She has a lot to learn and it can take years if you’re not a natural. With Mirra, she is playing more aggressively but she needs to continue on that road.
‘In Wimbledon, you have to be aggressive and you have to be low on your legs all the time. She has to be able to come against the hard hitters.
‘I know that if she puts her mind to it, she can beat anybody. She has already beaten the best players this year so why not.
‘I started working with Mirra two weeks before Madrid last year. She is progressing very well. She is maturing and learning a lot. There’s more room for her to improve but she’s already in the top 10. Since the beginning of the season, she has been great with good results from the beginning.
‘She had a good run at the Australian Open and then won in Dubai and Indian Wells, those are serious tournaments.
‘She has produced great tennis and everything is aligned to be at her best. She has the potential and she is doing great.’