Mirra Andreeva got off to the perfect start in the China Open, defeating wildcard Lin Zhu 6-2, 6-2. The Russian is searching for her third Masters 1000 title of 2025, adding to the ones she collected in Dubai and Indian Wells at the start of the year.
She nicked an early break of throw off her Chinese opponent as she went 3-1 up, before three consecutive beaks left Andreeva serving for the first set, which she took on the second opportunity. After two holds to commence the second set, the 18-year-old swept up the next tour games to go 5-1 ahead and comprehensively claimed victory to move her into the round-of-32, where she will face off against Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
She was happy with her performance when reacting to the match and echoed her positive feelings when playing in China. “It was a good match to start the tournament,” she said. “I knew it would be tough because she was playing at home, I thought people would support her more, which they did. I’m super happy with my performance, delighted to advance in the tournament.”
“I played a singles match last year on the Diamond court with the roof open. We played at night, second match after 7:00 pm, I remember it very well. Today I played the first match at 11:00 with the roof closed, the conditions were different, it was very humid. I felt very hot on the court, knew what to expect, so I prepared for it, although I felt like I had showered because of the heat and humidity. Honestly, I like the heavier ball conditions, you have more time to think and create something on the court, I really enjoy playing in China. I’m happy, hope to play on a bigger court in my next match.”
Looking to get back on the top of the roster
There was so much hope after those two titles at the start of the year that Andreeva would kick on and challenge the big three of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff, but that has not materialised as planned. She revealed that after those two titles, she strived to be ‘kinder’ to herself and not to judge herself ‘harshly or immediately.’
“I think I managed all that attention I was getting well, it was more the feeling of me putting pressure on myself, not so much external people, it was me expecting more from myself. Now I’m learning to be kinder to myself, give myself more time, not judge myself harshly or immediately. I’m learning new things, I can say everything is a bit easier now. Obviously, there are days when it’s still difficult, but I keep improving to make it simpler, applying new techniques in my daily life.”
While her form may have slightly dipped off, she admitted that she has not been playing bad this campaign. She made two Grand Slam quarter-finals, and a brace of 1000 quarters to add to it. A recent disappointing third-round exit at Flushing Meadows does dampen the mood a bit, but Andreeva is keeping her head held high as she looks towards the rest of the season.
“I wasn’t playing badly all season, when I won those two tournaments, I was at the top of my game, but then some aspects got lost. Sometimes things work out, and other times everything gets tougher. I’m trying to get better every day, evolve in every tournament I play, rediscover that winning mentality. Compared to the beginning of the year, I think I’ve improved a lot, especially in decision-making, which is a good thing. I’m going to keep improving because there are still important tournaments to play this season, I still need to win some matches, hope I can do it.”
Mirra Andreeva
New style of play
Andreeva is looking to be a more attacking player on the court, going for more winners and seizing control in matches.
“At the beginning of the year, I tried to focus on being more aggressive, I remember seeing a post from the WTA where I was ranked first as the player with the most winners of the season. Seriously? Me? I was never famous for hitting many winners or being super aggressive, which was a good sign. Then I started to feel a bit of fear of losing, maybe making some mistakes, that’s why I tend to step back at times to put the ball in play, something that doesn’t work against the top players. Today I try to force myself to hit hard, go for my shots, even if I miss, it’s better to fail like that than to be passive and just put the ball in play.”
She also touched on a more positive mentality change, as the Russian looks to be more mature and start to enjoy doing more things.
“I’ve taken a step forward in everything, became more mature, no longer try to leave the court because I want to go home. For example, I now enjoy doing press, taking my time for lunch, or for each treatment. I do all the things, don’t rush to get back and watch Netflix. I want to be professional and do all the right things, I’ll have time later to do the rest of the things. My mentality has changed compared to 2024, where I only had one goal in mind: to be top20. I did it, and now what? I got a bit lost at that time. I can also say that my physique has improved, every little aspect helps to see progress and daily improvement, which gives me more motivation to keep working more.”