Andreeva Reflects On Crying During Trophy Ceremony And Being Comforted By Kasatkina
News
Mirra Andreeva could not hide her emotions after last year's Ningbo Open final, and she was recently asked about being comforted by Daria Kasatkina afterward.
Andreeva made progress under her new coach, Conchita Martinez, in 2024. The former Wimbledon champion was hired in April last year and has made a positive impact since joining the 17-year-old's team.
She may be relieved that Martinez proved a good appointment because the Spaniard was not Andreeva's first choice. Three-time Grand Slam runner-up Dinara Safina revealed she and Aryna Sabalenka wanted her as a coach.
Soon afterward, five-time major singles champion Martina Hingis mentioned in an interview that Andreeva also wanted to work with her. Hingis also praised Martinez for doing a good job as Andreeva's coach.
The teenage prodigy made breakthroughs last year with Martinez as her coach. She reached a maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open, a run that included a win against the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Andreeva's first WTA title came less than two months later on clay at the Iasi Open in Romania. The young star recovered from losing the opening set to lift the title after Elina Avanesyan retired at 0-4 down in the deciding set.
Another notable moment came at the Ningbo Open. Andreeva progressed to her first WTA 500 final. She faced her compatriot Daria Kasatkina in the final and looked to be on the verge of winning the title after taking a 3-0 lead in the deciding set.
However, the gritty Kasatkina refused to give up, and Andreeva could not handle the pressure. The French Open semifinalist slipped to a 0-6, 6-4, 4-6 defeat and narrowly missed out on a first WTA 500 title.
Andreeva, who is often emotional during matches, burst into tears when trying to speak during the trophy ceremony. That led to Kasatkina rushing over to hug her younger compatriot. It was one of the most touching moments of 2024.
Speaking in a press conference after beating Linda Noskova to advance to the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International, Andreeva recounted the incident and said it was a positive learning experience.
"Well, that final was something special. But honestly I got emotional because, well, I led 3-0 in the third set, and I lost 6-4. It's never easy to lose the match when you're almost always the one who is up in the score."
"Of course, I got emotional as well, because for me it was the chance to win my second title. Of course, it's not really nice when you lose in the final. Yes, this was a bit heavy. Well, not a nice moment."
"After with Dasha, we shared nice moments together. She tried to calm me down. I don't think she succeeded because after that I started crying even more. It's a learning experience, as well. I just have to accept it. Not when I look at those videos when I'm crying, I just laugh at myself because I couldn't hold it inside."
