Thursday, March 13, 2025

Mirra Andreeva

Press Conference

M. ANDREEVA/E. Svitolina

7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Mirra, congratulations. Into the semifinals without dropping a set. Talk us through how you're feeling in your game right now and thoughts on the match.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, it's true that I actually didn't drop a set yet. I'm just super happy about it. I really like the way I play right now, and today was a really tough match. So I'm just super happy that I managed to win today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I just heard on The Tennis Channel interview you are not aware that you are in the top 10. How do you track your progress? Do you have checkpoints, how many matches you win, or anything else?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Before, I was always checking live rankings, because before, I was playing for a dog. So after every match I play, I would check the live rankings to see if I did it.

But now it's not that I don't care, but I try to not focus on that, and I try to focus on the match that I have to play. I like this. I would say it's pretty easy, because I don't think about the rankings or the points I have to defend if I have to, so I just don't really follow the rankings or anything, like this is a bit easier for me.

Q. Can you elaborate on the dog situation?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, no dog yet, because we're still kind of thinking what's gonna be better. I'm thinking to get a girl, because the girls are basically they're a bit smaller in the size, so it's gonna be easier to travel with a girl.

I'm thinking to get an ultra mini labradoodle. It's going to be a Labrador mixed with poodle, and it's ultra mini, so going to be even smaller than a mini version. It's going to take time until the dog that I want will be born.

We wait for now.

Q. Was there a goal you were to reach until you were able to get a dog?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I was supposed to be top 20 by the end of last year, and I did it when I won against Magda Linette in Beijing. I think I was 19 or 18, and I sent the screen shot to my mom. She was like, No. I'm, like, Yes.

That was the match when I entered the top 20. Yeah, but we're still waiting for the dog now.

Q. You have such confidence on court. You're so much at ease with us people in the media. You spoke obviously after your recent win about your belief in yourself. When did you get that belief in yourself on court and off? Is that one of your greatest strengths?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I started to feel it during the tournament in Dubai, but I can say that I got a little help from my sports psychologist that I'm still working with.

I can say that, you know, it helped me a lot to realize a lot of things and to change something in the way I think during the match or before the match. Also, it helps me to go in the match with the right mindset, and, you know, I think that that was kind of the key for me. I can say that it's working. It's not bad. So I'm just super happy that I can see the result.

You know, I will do everything I can not to stop here.

Q. Do you have a name for the dog?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I'm still thinking. Because at first I wanted to get a boy, so I came up with a couple of names for a boy, but then we decided to get a girl.

There are not many options, and I'm not even sure that the options I have are going to be the actual name. So I cannot really name any. I will have to think about it (smiling).

Q. Do you think of yourself that you were always sort of a creative player? Is that a goal that you had for yourself? And then what has Conchita done for that?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I can say that since I was very young, I was very, very small. I was one of the smallest girls, I mean, compared to the girls my age. So I had to find a way to win the matches not by hitting as hard as I can but maybe to run and be, you know, kind of a good defender and try to find a way to counterattack. That's how I kind of played since I was very young.

Now Conchita is helping me to kind of develop that game to not be defensive all the time, but when I have a chance to step in and try to be aggressive and to go for my shots. Yeah, and I think that it's working pretty good, and I'm just super happy that we can all see the little change and the result there.

Q. The weather conditions here can change significantly from one day to the next. Is being so adaptable one of the things that you're particularly proud of? Seems like you have been doing really well adapting to all the conditions.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, honestly I hate to play when it's windy outside. I don't think that there is one player that really likes it, but there is nothing we can do about it, so yeah, I try to adapt my game.

If it's windy or if it's hot or if it's cold, I kind of try to adjust and play a little different. I also kind of go from my feeling, and if I feel like, I don't know, it's a bit hard for me to move or I feel heavy. I just try to play a bit more aggressive so the points are not very long, or if I feel like I'm super energetic and my legs are moving fast, I try to use it as much as I can.

I think that, yeah, I can adapt pretty fast. I like this about my game, and I will also try to kind of stick with it and develop that.

Q. There are two things. Firstly, when you're in the middle of a match, what do you feel like? What does it feel like for you? I'm talking about is it like just going out and having fun and playing? And then the other part of it, you just mentioned working with a sports psychologist. When you're in that situation, is it just the two of you in a room? Is it just casual conversations? Is it discussion over dinner? How does that work?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: We have a call. When I feel like I need to talk, I send a message, and we try to organize a call. Then, yeah, just kind of try to talk about what I feel. If I have any concerns, then I get some help.

We go from there. So it's just casual phone call, and we go from how I feel and we try to find some solutions on what to do.

And the first question, I don't remember, I'm sorry.

Q. First question was what does it feel like for you being in the middle of a match? Is it just like you're having fun? Going out to a party? What does it actually feel like?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I would say that when I was a bit younger, it would all be about having fun, but now I kind of try, I start to understand that it's pretty serious what I do out here, so I might as well take it a bit more seriously.

I feel like when I have fun on the court, I play great tennis. So I still try to, you know, not being super, super serious during the match, but also to have fun a little bit.

So I try to mix it up a little.

Q. How important was it for you to beat Iga last month? Does that change in any way the feeling you have as you prepare to face her once again here at Indian Wells?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, of course it's always nice to beat a top player. It was my first win over her.

You know, it doesn't give me any benefit to our match tomorrow, because what happened happened, and the past is in the past. Tomorrow is going to be a new day, new match, new conditions, new country. Everything is different.

You know, I'm going to try my best to prepare in the best way for our match tomorrow, and I'm sure that the match is going to be great, because our head-to-head is 1-All. I think it's going to be an entertaining match, and we're just going to see who is going to be better tomorrow.