Wimbledon teen sensation snubs Djokovic to pick Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as favourite tennis players of all time

Having caught everyone’s attention in Wimbledon 2023, Mirra Andreeva stunned tenth seed Barbora Krejcikova in the women’s second round, sealing a 6-3 4-0 win as her opponent ended up giving her a walkover. The 16-year-old had earlier beaten Wang Xiyu in the first round, after making it through the qualifiers.

The Russian teen sensation’s adventure just didn’t end there as she cruised past Anastasia Potapova, seeded 22nd, in the third round in straight sets (6-2 7-5).

Up against Madison Keys in the Round of 16, Andreeva, who is currently ranked 102 in the WTA Tour, spoke about her tennis idols growing up. The youngster picked her favourite player, and also revealed that Rafael Nadal impressed her a lot. “I always admire [Roger] Federer and he was always my favorite player”, he said.

“But after [Rafael] Nadal, he won the French Open in 2022. I was really impressed because after an injury, he came back, he won the Australian Open, he won the French Open. After that, I can say that now mental-wise I just try sometimes to copy him [Nadal].

“I just try to remember what would he do in these moments, what would he do on the score. Sometimes, yes, I can say that I copy him,” she further added.

In the French Open this year, she showcased her potential, before losing to Cori Gauff in the third round. Speaking about her Roland Garros experience, she said, “Honestly, after Paris I just had quite a long talk with myself, just me and myself, and that’s it. I talked to myself. I just talked. I don’t know, just in my head I realized some things. I took some decisions that I think are now important for me. I think I did a good job because now everything is working so far. Yes, I just talked with myself, and I decided everything what I have to do next. So far it’s working.”