Tennis teenager, Mirra Andreeva, toppled over ailing Aryna Sabalenka to book her spot in the French Open semis. Despite making a big impact in the competition, Andreeva was inspired by Russian tennis player Marat Safin. In fact, there was a time when Safin’s influence prompted Andreeva’s mother to encourage her to pursue tennis.

Andreeva was first introduced to tennis by her parents. When Raisa Andreeva watched Marat Safin during the 2005 Australian Open, her mother became enamored with the game. Being inspired by Safin, Raisa decided that her girls would choose tennis as their career. So, that was the force behind Mirra Andreeva and Erika Andreeva’s tennis career.

The French Open semi-finalist moved to Cannes in 2022 to practice at the Elite Tennis Center with Jean-Christophe Faurel and Jean-René Lisnard as her trainers. Erika, her sister, who had trained in Sochi, Russia, went with her to Cannes too. Last year, in an interview with the WTA, she stated, “Actually, I didn’t pick this sport. My mom did. I’m really happy that my mom picked this sport because I feel that I really belong to this sport.”

The 17-year-old is still only a teenager, but she already has significant popularity. At the 2022 Jasmin Open, she made her main-draw debut on the WTA Tour. In January 2023, she advanced to the Australian Open’s girls’ singles semifinal. She has since participated in a number of esteemed competitions, such as the China Open, Wimbledon, the French Open, and the Madrid Open.

At the 2022 Australian Open, Andreeva achieved a significant breakthrough by making it to the final, where she lost to fellow Russian Alina Korneeva. However, it’s not just Marat Safin who brought tennis to her; the Russian tennis player, is an Andy Murray superfan, bringing other angles to her athletics story.

Mirra Andreeva is a big Andy Murray fan

Apparently, the 38th-ranked player admitted to being star-struck when she saw Andy Murray in the player’s restaurant during the Madrid Open, when she was making her debut. She said, “When you sit here and take in all the stars, like Andy Murray, you see his face,” Andreeva said. “He is so beautiful in life. Sorry, he is so amazing.”

On the other hand, while there was an opportunity to meet with her idol at Wimbledon last year, she came forward to talk about how she was “too shy” to even stand in front of him. The Russian stated, “I met Andy Murray here. But I’m too shy to talk to him. When I see him, I try to leave the facility super quick just to not to talk to him because I’m super shy.”

Furthermore, with so many tennis legends to look up to, the 17-year-old tennis player is ready to take this Sporting Arena by storm in her own way. Moreover, what are your thoughts on the Russian player’s long-lost connection to tennis legend, Marat Safin? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.