17-year-old Mirra Andreeva is a fascinating tennis player who combines smart tennis with passion, and as a teenager, she recently talked about maturing.
Being 17 and mature is not something that happens often because most people at that age are still learning about life. For Andreeva, things are quite different. The teenager had to mature sooner; her job demanded it.
She's one of the most promising tennis players we've seen on the WTA Tour in recent years, but she's still far from being a complete player. Breaking out as a 15-year-old and winning matches on the Tour was amazing, but she's really after figuring out how to be effective.
The teenager kept her level high this year despite starting on the lower ranks due to restrictions on how many tournaments she could enter. Players try to prepare for her and still don't find any solutions because she can adapt well. Compared to last year, there is pressure now, but she's handling all of them really well.
"Last year, especially, I felt like I have nothing to lose so I could go out, feel like everything was possible and see what happens. I was never nervous before matches because I would think, ‘Well, if I lose here in the first round, it’s ok. I have time and nothing scary will happen.’"
"With this mindset, I was walking into matches and playing better and better, and I think that helped me because I was not afraid to lose or leave the tournament early. Now, I feel like people expect some things from me and this can be a bit of a pressure. But I’m learning how to figure it out and handle these moments. I still feel fearless, at least for a little bit longer!"
Now, she feels more mature because, in a way, she's not fighting herself anymore. She tried to remain calm last year, but she's avoiding spending any energy on that this year.
It's where she thrives, and that's why she's not fighting it anymore. She's channeling it into something better to produce better results. She is such a young player but so good in so many different ways.
"All this energy that I have, I’m not spending it trying to calm myself down anymore. I’m using it to find solutions, to overcome some difficult moments. Before, I wouldn’t be able to do that. This may be maturity for me."
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