Mirra Andreeva’s coach: How famed figure is pushing teen star to new heights
Mirra Andreeva has once again been in headline-making form at the French Open.
The 17-year-old – perhaps the hottest prospect on the WTA Tour – is back in the third round at Roland Garros, after beating Emina Bektas before a battling win over Victoria Azarenka in round two.
Andreeva has a fascinating clash with Peyton Stearns on Saturday, with a place in the second week up for grabs.
And her clay-court exploits are being aided by a new coach, in the form of 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez.
New partnership
The partnership between the two is a fairly new one, with the two first trialling their partnership at the Rouen Open back in April.
Speaking during that tournament, the 17-year-old expressed optimism about the relationship, having been connected to Martinez by her agent.
“I like it, I hope she likes it too. We will see how it will go and then we will decide about our next tournaments,” said Andreeva.
“I cannot say there are special aspects we are working on. But the first thing we worked on was my slice, because she was a good slicer. So she told me some tricks, and I’m trying to use it when I have time and a good possibility on court.”
Andreeva had struggled a little with form and fitness after her Australian Open run, but a quarter-final run at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid was a strong sign she and Martinez were working well together.
Read More: Who is Peyton Stearns – the young American star on the rise
Clay knowledge
Clay is a tricky surface but Martinez often thrived on it as a player, with the Spaniard considered one of the best WTA players never to win Roland Garros.
She reached the final in 2000, losing to Mary Pierce, and reached a further three semi-finals and seven quarter-finals at the tournament.
Nineteen of her 33 career titles came on the dirt, including four consecutive victories at the Italian Open in the mid-1990s, while she was also twice a champion in Charleston.
Big time tennis from the teen
17-year-old Mirra Andreeva defeats Azarenka 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 to conclude a late night in Paris#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/gxBZQhA4Xo
— wta (@WTA) May 30, 2024
Andreeva certainly has the prowess to be a hugely successful clay court, particularly considering she shows a tactical maturity well beyond her years – something that is perhaps needed on clay more than any other surface.
But having someone like Martinez, who has been through all there is to do on the dirt, will be a huge advantage in the long run.
Coaching credentials
Martinez has plenty of history on clay and also has a bucket load of coaching experience to bring into this new partnership.
She was the Spanish Fed Cup (now BJK Cup) captain from 2013 to 2017 and was also the Davis Cup captain for her country from 2015 to 2017.
The former world No 2 spent two years coaching Karolina Pliskova in 2018 and 2019 but is perhaps best remembered for her time with compatriot Garbine Muguruza.
Martinez initially stepped in temporarily to coach an out-of-form Muguruza at Wimbledon 2017 – helping the former world No 1 turn her season around with a stunning run to the title.
She later became Muguruza’s full-time coach, guiding her to the Australian Open final in 2020 and then WTA Finals victory in 2021 – being named WTA Coach of the Year that season.
Such spectacular results are probably a little while off yet for Andreeva, but she has certainly found a coach with the know-how to get her there one day.