Mirra Andreeva’s rise to the prime has been nothing short of spectacular. At just 19, the Russian is already a Grand Slam champion, having conquered the 2026 French Open. Currently, she sits at a career-high World No. 5, and she earned this success by studying to navigate her anxiety and feelings on court to keep targeted.
However, there is one factor the teenager completely dreads: taking part in against her older sister, Erika. For Mirra, going through her sibling across the internet is not just a troublesome athletic problem; it is a profound emotional nightmare.
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Mirra Andreeva Opens Up About “The Two Worst Days” of Her Life, Playing Against Sister Erika
Recently showing on the “Served with Andy Roddick” podcast, Mirra listed the positives of having her sister play the same sport professionally. She credited Erika with paving the approach for her, grinding through junior circuit, Tennis Europe, and ITF occasions, which taught Mirra to keep away from pointless exhaustion and fast-track her transition to the professional degree.
But there is a unfavorable facet to that as properly. The 19-year-old opened up about the psychological toll of going through her sibling on court, reflecting on the two instances they have crossed paths on the WTA Tour.
“When you have to play against each other, it’s like a nightmare,” Mirra confessed. “It’s the worst thing in the world. We’ve played twice against each other, and those are the two worst days of my life. So much pressure, so much nerves.”
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Mirra recalled their first skilled assembly at the 2024 Wuhan Open. Despite being opponents, the sisters selected to keep their routine, sharing a resort room and eating breakfast collectively. But that only amplified the inside rigidity.
“I was so nervous that I was crying a little bit before the match because of so many nerves, like so many emotions. I just couldn’t handle it,” she summarized the agonizing wait before their night time match.
Her sports activities psychologist even steered Mirra trick her mind by pretending she was taking part in a fictional opponent named “Akira,” but the tactic failed fully. Instead, the sisters spent the day collectively in tense silence, making the buildup to the match very ‘disagreeable’.
Their profession trajectories are also very contrasting. While Mirra charged toward a top-5 rating, 22-year-old Erika has struggled to discover a comparable breakthrough. Once ranked a career-high No. 65 in late 2024, Erika has just lately slipped outside the world’s prime 200.
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Their head-to-head document stays tied at 1-1. Erika claimed their first bout in Wuhan (6-3, 6-1), while Mirra superior in their second match at the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix following Erika’s early retirement.
Now, Mirra is next scheduled to compete in the North American hardcourt swing at the Canadian Open, trying to construct momentum forward of the US Open in New York.
This article initially appeared on Pro Football Network.
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