Another Former World No. 1 Reveals Teenage Prodigy Andreeva Tried To Appoint Her As Coach
News
Tennis legend Martina Hingis revealed that Mirra Andreeva wanted to hire her as a coach, becoming the second former WTA world No. 1 to reveal this.
17-year-old Andreeva has the potential to become a tennis legend, but it is crucial to appoint the right people to nurture her talent. That makes the teenager's preference for hiring a high-profile former player understandable.
Hingis can appreciate the pressure Andreeva has faced since breaking through more than anyone. She was one of the most talented teenagers in tennis history, in the men's or women's game.
The Swiss' maiden Grand Slam title came at the 1997 Australian Open. Hingis was just 16 and three months old when she triumphed at Melbourne and remains the youngest female major champion in the open era.
All five of Hingis' titles came before her 18th birthday. Injury issues hampered her singles career after that, but she won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles in her latter years before officially retiring in 2017.
Hingis' legendary status is demonstrated by her being asked to play an exhibition match against the three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters at this season's Dallas Open, an ATP 500 tournament in February.
Since April 2024, Andreeva has been coached by 1994 Wimbledon champion and former world No. 2 Conchita Martinez. The pair have gelled well, and the young star's improvements have been noticeable.
However, it turns out Martinez was not Andreeva's first choice as coach. Former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam runner-up Dinara Safina revealed she and Aryna Sabalenka tried to appoint her.
Hingis can be added to that list. In an appearance on the AO Show Podcast, Hingis discussed Andreeva's attempt to hire her but thinks Martinez is doing a very good job as the teenager's coach.
"I enjoy watching Mirra Andreeva. She was one of those that she made like quarterfinals, semi-finals at various events, like at the French and she did well in Australia, and all of a sudden my name came up."
"It was also funny, because this year she asked me if I would want to coach her. And I’m a big fan of hers, the way she plays. But Conchita Martinez is doing a great job with helping her on the way and defining her game and making her a better player – so we’ll see how far she’s going to take it."
Hingis is a fan of Andreeva's game. However, the 1997 Wimbledon champion believes she could get even better by being more aggressive and taking the ball on the rise more often.
"I like her style, I like her attitude. The thing is that even Mirra says about herself, she’s not as maybe aggressive, which I would like to see her do a little bit more, coming in and taking the ball on the rise, and step in and move forward. I think in my [view], if she can make that extra step, that will make her a top-10 player, definitely."
Most players have multiple coaches throughout their careers. Therefore, Hingis coaching Andreeva in the future cannot be ruled out.
