At just 16 years old, Mirra Andreeva is back dominating in Madrid with her remarkable determination and foresight. With her 17th birthday on the horizon, Andreeva has taken a unique approach to staying motivated. When tennis legend Andy Murray praised her mental fortitude at the Australian Open earlier this year, the Russian player did not take the compliment lightly.

Rather, she took an opportunity and chose to frame Murray’s well-known tweet in order to immortalize his words of admiration. “When I said I would put his comment in a frame, I actually have a frame now with his comment inside!” Andreeva said at the Tennis Channel Desk yesterday. “It was a gift from my friend, and it’s always with me in my bag,” she continued. “So, when I said that, I was not joking: I did it for real!”

Murray made the statement in January in response to Andreeva’s outstanding performance against France’s Diane Parry in Melbourne. In the third set, down 5-1 and facing match point, the young tennis sensation pulled off an incredible comeback win. Her resilience and mental toughness were evident, and the former world champion praised her for them.

In response to a commentator’s statement during the match emphasizing the value of mental toughness in tennis, Murray acknowledged Andreeva’s mental toughness. The British tennis player wrote, “Maybe the reason she turned the match round is because of her mental strength. Maybe she turned the match around because she is hard on herself and demands more of herself when she’s losing/playing badly? Winner.”

Perhaps the reason why Murray could relate better than most is because he’s the same. The young Russian was thrilled to discover later that the three-time Grand Slam champion had watched her match. “Honestly I didn’t really think that he would watch (my) match, then after he would tweet or comment something!” Andreeva was elated. “I will try to print it out somehow. I don’t know, I will put it in a frame. I will bring it everywhere with me. I will maybe put it on the wall so I can see it every day.”

Andreeva publicly praised Murray last year and described her pleasure at finally getting to meet the 36-year-old tennis great at the Madrid Open.

Despite historic 2023 Madrid run, Andreeva’s highlight was glimpsing Andy Murray

Last year, Mirra Andreeva wreaked havoc in Madrid when she defeated two seeded players in her first big tournament. But for the tennis teenager, the highlight was something else! “The atmosphere is so special. You take lunch with all this stars, let’s say. You see Andy Murray… you see his face and he’s so beautiful in life. He’s so amazing.”

Murray later added humor to the situation by taking to Twitter with a dose of self-deprecation after hearing Murray’s sweet sentiments. “Imagine how good she’s going to be when she gets her eyes fixed,” he said.

Andreeva reportedly first glimpsed the Brit at player dining in Wimbledon and the rest, as they say, is history!