Mirra Andreeva is getting closer to a Grand Slam victory. Despite still being a teenager she has long been considered a contender for the biggest titles.
Having been through a few coaching set-ups, Andreeva has now settled on one that seems to have a bright future.
She has been working with 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez since April 2024. “I really like the atmosphere that we have together,” Andreeva said at the time.
As well as overseeing the path of her charge through the ladies’ singles draw, Martinez is also playing in the Invitation event at Wimbledon this year.
“We have a wonderful relationship,” Martinez said of Andreeva. “From the moment that we met each other, you could see that the chemistry was there. It was very nice to work with her, to see her progression, and I am very pleased with how things are going so far.”
Martinez joked that she was expecting to get some advice from her charge during her mixed doubles with Greg Rusedski, and unsurprisingly Andreeva did show up – not to give advice as it turned out, but to support her Spanish coach, who was known as the overspin queen during her successful career.
Andreeva had made a sign with ‘Top Spin Senorita’ written on it, although unfortunately it didn’t have quite the desired effect: Martinez and Rusedski lost.
The Spaniard believes that their playful way of going about things is the key to a healthy, happy relationship.
“I think that humour, it's very similar even despite the difference in age. I can crack jokes. We can tease each other a lot and we have fun.”
There’s been quite a bit of back-and-forth between the two over the past 10 days, Martinez and Andreeva bantering in her on-court interviews about whether she’s going to practise more that day and receiving either a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Whatever they’re doing, it’s working and expectation is rising with every match win.
“You cannot escape from that, Martinez said. “So far, she’s done very well this season. She’s won some great tournaments, has beaten some top players. I like how she’s behaving. She’s fighting for every ball. She is accepting that the grass is different. You have to accept that it’s not going to be perfect like other surfaces. I think that’s been the difference here.
“She’s won two very important tournaments this season beating some very good opponents. It’s a matter of how she is going to go into the match. Accepting point-by-point, and not even thinking beyond that.”
Andreeva has been compared to the likes of Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis (who is also playing in the Invitation event) but Martinez says her player is her own person.
“I don't like comparisons,” she said. “I like how she’s playing and how she’s developing her game. We're working on being a little bit more aggressive with both backhand and forehand and finishing points at the net.
“I think you've seen that the serve is working, and her mobility. I mean, I feel like she can get to every ball, when all of the things get together she is a very, very complete player – she’s Mirra Andreeva – she’s not like anyone else.”
In the little off-time she has, Andreeva has said she’s been walking in the local park with her mum, doing a spot of shopping and reading. Other than that she’s at the Club, playing singles and doubles.
In the future, Martinez says, she may not do ‘double’ duty.
“She likes to play doubles a lot - I'm actually encouraging her to maybe back off a little bit,” Martinez said. “I mean now she's a contender in every tournament, so sometimes that can take away, but it also gives you other things.
“What I told her is if you play doubles, it’s to learn and to go to the net. Sometimes she was playing doubles like a singles player. I don’t blame her as she’s competitive and wants to win but it’s important when you play doubles you go forward, you volley, you poach, and that's what doubles will teach you for singles.”
Clearly singles is the priority and who better to guide the exceptionally talented Andreeva than someone who has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish?
“I’m here too to protect her, to guide her right now,” Martinez explained. “I think it's very helpful because some of the things or a lot of the things that she's going through I went through before and I have that experience so I can try to guide her a little bit better or as well as I can do it.’