Mirra Andreeva is excited about the chance to play former world number two Paula Badosa, whose career hasn't gone that well lately.
Badosa has struggled lately, but it has very little to do with her tennis. Although her tennis looked pretty decent at times, it's her body that keeps failing her. She has back issues that won't go away, and she will have to manage them for the rest of her career.
She recently opened up about the severity of that, and it was sad to hear. Hopefully, it works out as best as possible for her, but she's certainly somebody players are excited to face.
The Italian Open draw paired Badosa with 17-year-old Andreeva, who can't wait to face the former world number two. Speaking to the media in Rome on Monday, Andreeva shared her thoughts about the upcoming matchup.
"I’ve actually wanted to play Badosa, and I will play her tomorrow! She’s an amazing player and I saw a lot of her matches, like when she won Indian Wells in 2021, and I watched some matches of hers recently."
Facing great players is something Andreeva enjoys a lot because that's how she can learn. It's always a challenge to play against a great player, and she's excited about this matchip.
"I feel like when you face a good player, you become better and you’re always challenging yourself until the last moment. You’re playing 100% and you want to win. Before a match against a seeded player or someone who has won titles on the WTA circuit, I feel like, ‘That will be a challenge for me,’ and it helps me to improve."
"It challenges me to be a better person and I feel even better and happier after winning these matches, so I’ll be excited for tomorrow because it’ll help me improve my game and myself."