Mirra Andreeva advances in qualifying to the first round at Wimbledon.
Her base is in Cannes, which makes sense given the dramatic quality of Mirra Andreeva’s ascent to fame. Despite having never played on grass before, the 16-year-old arrived in Roehampton with a Netflix film team in tow and has already qualified for Wimbledon. Consider this as the action scene leading up to the opening credits. What might occur when she steps onto the All England Club’s grass the following week, when The Championships officially begin? Andreeva has adapted to the surface even though her first practice session on grass the other day was rather worrisome because she fell three times trying to get used to the difference bounce and movement.
In the last round of qualifying, the world No. 102 didn’t have it all her own way against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch, having lost just four games in her first round and three more in her second outing. She dropped a set for the first time this week, but she came back to win 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. “This is my first grass tournament, and I’m very happy with it,” she remarked. “At first, I didn’t feel all that at ease here, but little by little, I’m growing more and more assured. I’m still having problems. I believe that I am the one that trips and falls the most. Arriving here, I felt completely unconfident. I did what I felt to do. I was
“I just tried to compete and play my game, and now that I’m in the main draw, I win every ball. I have never before visited Wimbledon. I’m very happy with this. One of the most dramatic, nerve-wracking days in the tennis calendar is expected to occur on this day: either you secure a spot in the Wimbledon draw, or you retreat, aware that the disappointment will gnaw at you for days or perhaps weeks. On days like today, older, more seasoned players get stressed. However, Andreeva didn’t appear to notice and didn’t lose heart when the match reached a third set. She is determined to maintain her modesty and groundedness despite the risks of turning into a tennis “diva” because
Andreeva has earned a spot in the main draw for the second consecutive Grand Slam. This comes after her maiden participation at Roland-Garros, where she advanced to the final 32 and defeated previous entrant Coco Gauff in three sets, becoming the youngest woman to do so in nearly 20 years. It’s risky to make predictions about the future, but you have a sneaking suspicion that Andreeva, who has advanced more than 200 spots in the rankings this year, may not play in qualifying again. No one in the women’s locker rooms, including the one designated for the seeds, would have missed her progression into the main draw. But one thing is for sure: nobody will want to be paired with the teenager in the first round.
