Two years after charming the tennis world with her playful admiration for Sir Andy Murray, current world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva has revealed that her true tennis idol is none other than Roger Federer.
Back in 2023, the then-rising Russian star caught attention at the Madrid Open when she referred to Murray as “beautiful” after meeting him in person. At the time, her lighthearted remark quickly made the rounds on social media and even drew a humorous response from Murray himself. Sharing a joke on X (formerly Twitter), the Scottish tennis great quipped, “Imagine how good she’ll be once she gets her eyes fixed,” complete with a laughing emoji.
Reflecting on her early days on tour, the now 18-year-old spoke fondly of the moment: “The atmosphere here in Madrid is something else. You’re sitting down for lunch surrounded by stars… and then you see Andy Murray, and in person, he’s just so beautiful. It was amazing just to be around these top players.”
However, it appears her admiration for Murray was more of a passing moment. Fast forward to the present, and Andreeva’s list of tennis inspirations looks a little different. “Roger Federer has always been my tennis idol,” she recently said. “Then of course there’s Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray as well… Also Marat Safin. There are so many great players I’ve looked up to. I actually saw Rafa here last year but didn’t get a chance to speak with him. I still hope I’ll meet Roger someday.”
Andreeva continues to impress on the women’s tour. At this year’s Madrid Open, she notched victories over Marie Bouzkova, Magdalena Frech, and Yuliia Starodubtseva before falling to Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-1.
Already boasting three WTA Tour singles titles and a remarkable semi-final appearance at the French Open at just 17, Andreeva is seen as one of the sport’s brightest young stars. Looking ahead to her goals, she remains both ambitious and grounded.
“This clay season didn’t start easily for me,” she admitted. “But usually after a few weeks, I start to find my rhythm and perform better.”
Reflecting on last year’s campaign, she said, “I wasn’t playing out-of-this-world tennis from the get-go, but I was playing well enough to beat strong opponents.”
As for what’s next, Andreeva isn’t limiting herself. “As long as I’m healthy, I want to give the French Open a real shot. But I also dream of competing for a Wimbledon title one day. I know that might sound far-fetched now, but I believe it’s possible.”
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