Seventh-ranked world tennis player Mirra Andreeva shared her childhood memories in an interview.
Question: “Recalling a video recorded when you were 10 years old, where you said you wanted to win all Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympics. At what point and why did you realize you could become a great tennis player and develop such ambitions?”
Answer: “I think many children who start a sports career dream of big goals. Most likely, all children dream of becoming the world number one and winning all Grand Slams and the Olympics. I was probably just one of those children. But I haven`t achieved any of that yet. I hope everything is still ahead. So I will just continue to believe in myself and work, work, work.”
Question: “Was there a moment in childhood or youth when you truly believed in yourself?”
Answer: “Probably not in childhood. And at the junior level, it`s hard to say that I am the coolest and will beat everyone. Everyone generally knows that victories at the junior level are not really indicative. Of course, now I would say that I am quite confident in what I do on the court. Not so much confident in myself, but confident in my game.”
Question: “When asked about the words of her first foreign coach, Jean-René Lisnard, who said that Russian parents, when they believe in their tennis-playing child, are ready to do anything and even more for them. What did your dad and mom do that impresses you the most now?”
Answer: “If we needed to go to a tournament and I, for example, wanted my dad to go with me, he would drop everything and go with me because I wanted it that way. Or vice versa: if I wanted my mom to go with me, we somehow organized everything to make it happen. They just listened to Erica and me and helped us do what we love. And they still do. I am very grateful to them for that.”
Question: “Mirra was also asked if she ever thought about the sacrifices that tennis demanded from her childhood and whether she spent time like all ordinary children, and if she was angry about it?”
Answer: “She replied that she does not feel angry, on the contrary, she remembers her childhood with warmth. I didn`t get angry. I actually had a wonderful childhood. When I remember it, I almost get tears in my eyes. Because it was just a golden time! I spent a lot of time at my grandparents` house. We spent the whole summer with them, playing everything possible with Erica. Unfortunately, in the middle of some game, my parents would come, pick us up, and take us to training, and it was always sad and upsetting. But I don`t regret anything at all. My childhood is a very precious time for me.”
