Mirra Andreeva reveals how Roger Federer helped her win French Open title
Mirra Andreeva has revealed that she watched Roger Federer’s French Open matches before her successful title run in Paris in an attempt to ‘impersonate’ the Swiss superstar.
The Russian dropped just one set en route to her maiden Grand Slam title, defeating Pole Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 in the showpiece match.
Andreeva became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Maria Sharapova triumphed at the 2014 French Open.
Just four weeks earlier, she had reached the Madrid Open final before losing to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
The newly-crowned Grand Slam champion has now revealed that, following her defeat in the Spanish capital, she turned to Federer’s matches for inspiration on how to conduct herself on court.
“I would not say that there was a big reset or something I decided to switch completely or to change the approach for matches,” said Andreeva during her post-match press conference.
“There was nothing like this, I just decided, like my psychologist says you can always choose how you are going to be on the court and how you are going to play and who you are going to be as a person as well.
“I just decided to choose to be a fighter and I also felt like I watched a lot of Roger [Federer’s] matches here. I am not going to have the same aura ever.
“Nobody is going to have the same aura. But I really wanted to try and impersonate the way he behaves a little bit on the court, because I love watching him on the court when he used to play.
“Maybe that helped me a little bit, because I really wanted to look good on the court and not be frustrated or be not happy with how I played.
“Also for the people it’s nice to watch how players try their best and fight and compete so I just felt that was what I wanted to do. That’s what I was focusing on.”
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Federer is a former French Open champion, having lifted the trophy in 2009 with a victory over Robin Soderling in the final.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in tennis history, the Swiss won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and completed the Career Grand Slam with his triumph in Paris
Andreeva, meanwhile, is just 19 years old and became the first player born in 2005 or later to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The Russian had never previously reached a major final, although she did make the semi-finals in Paris two years ago.
“I still can’t believe I’m doing a press conference with a Grand Slam trophy next to me,” she exclaimed during her post-match press conference.
“It was always one of the biggest dreams of my life. I’m very happy to have given my best and to have been able to win this tournament.
“I’ve done a lot of visualisation exercises before, not just 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. To look at this trophy, to realise that it’s real and that I can call myself a Grand Slam champion.
“It’s an amazing feeling.”
The title is expected to propel Andreeva further towards the very top of the women’s game as she continues her rapid rise on the WTA Tour.
She will next compete at the Berlin Tennis Open, which takes place from June 15-21, as preparations begin for the grass-court season and Wimbledon.
