Russian tennis player Mirra Andreeva, currently ranked seventh in the world, recently shared a deeply personal story about a disturbing message she received online after a match when she was just 14 years old.
“I remember one comment specifically. I was 14,” Mirra recounted. “I had lost in the first round of a tournament after having three match points. Since I lacked experience back then, I went on social media to read the messages people had sent me. I still remember one to this day; I remember how scared I was…”
“A guy wrote that I wouldn`t play tennis and told me to watch my back because he would find me and cut my hands. I started crying uncontrollably; I had a kind of panic attack… Back then, I was afraid to leave my room, thinking he would follow me.”
She added, “Now, of course, I don`t read messages anymore. I`m smart enough not to use my phone for a couple of days after losing.”
Andreeva also shared how she was inspired by a performance by American rapper Snoop Dogg.
“Several years ago, I saw Snoop Dogg perform, and he thanked himself. He said, `Last but not least, I want to thank me.` Then this music started playing,” she explained. “I thought that if I ever won a tournament, it would be nice to say something like that. After winning in Dubai, I felt like that was the right time. I slightly changed the words so it wouldn`t seem like I copied him completely. I decided, `Why not?`, and everyone liked it; they all started laughing. I wasn`t saying it seriously at first, but then I thought, `Well, why shouldn`t I thank myself?` I work every day, I train, I get tired, I spend half the day on the tennis court. It feels good when I thank myself. `Good job, Mirra, we did it`.”
For context, Andreeva did famously thank herself during her victory speech after claiming the WTA 1000 title in Dubai (UAE).
Andreeva shared these stories during an appearance on the Tennis Insider Club podcast.
Marcus Prine