Mirra Andreeva Reveals Why She ‘Identified’ More with Novak Djokovic During Big 3 Era

Mirra Andreeva is set to square off against Jaqueline Cristian in the last 16 of the ongoing Dubai Tennis Championships.

Mirra Andreeva Reveals Why She ‘Identified’ More with Novak Djokovic During Big 3 Era

L-R: Mirra Andreeva, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic (circle) (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, ATP Tour)

In Short
  • Mirra Andreeva identifies with Novak Djokovic for his discipline and adaptability in tennis.
  • She has reached one Grand Slam semifinal and two quarterfinals but has faced criticism regarding her game.
  • Andreeva has won two WTA 1000 titles but has not qualified for the WTA Finals despite her successes.

Mirra Andreeva is in Dubai, bidding to defend her WTA 1000 title. In her opening round, held on Tuesday (February 17), the Russian ace received a walkover from Daria Kasatkina.

Andreeva recently sat down for an interview with Championnat, during which the 18-year-old opened up about her idols, revealing that she identified most with Novak Djokovic for his relentless discipline.

I admire Djokovic for his aura, his ability to overcome difficulties, his discipline, and his adaptability to any situation. Even during the [Rafael] Nadal and [Roger] Federer era, I identified more with Djokovic. Admittedly, I didn’t feel as elegant as Roger, nor as competitive as Rafa, but I had a strong sense of discipline, the ability to find solutions, and to rise to every challenge.

Had Victoria Mboko played, Andreeva could have faced her in the round of 16. But the reigning Canadian Open champion, who also finished as the runner-up at the Qatar Open, withdrew from her first-round match. Andreeva will face Jaqueline Cristian in the last 16.

On the men’s tour, the ATP 500 Qatar Open is underway, but Djokovic is not playing due to “strong fatigue”. The 24-time Grand Slam champion suffered an opening-round exit in the Doha event last year, losing to Matteo Berrettini.

He was last seen in action at the Australian Open, where, after eliminating two-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in what was also his first Grand Slam final since the 2024 Wimbledon.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov doesn’t think Mirra Andreeva has it in her to win a Grand Slam title

Mirra Andreeva has so far featured in one Grand Slam semifinal. Back in 2024, she made the last four of the French Open, only to lose in straight sets against eventual runner-up Jasmine Paolini.

Mirra Andreeva
Mirra Andreeva (Image via X/#AusOpen)

Since then, she has made two quarterfinals, both last year. After losing to Lois Boisson in the last eight at the French Open, Andreeva succumbed to defeat against Belinda Bencic at Wimbledon.

In this year’s Australian Open, Andreeva suffered a straight-set defeat at the hands of Elina Svitolina. Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the former two-time Grand Slam champion from Russia, thinks Andreeva needs to change her game to reach the top of the rankings table and win a Grand Slam title.

To be honest, I wish I hadn’t watched that match between Andreeva and Svitolina, because it really revealed a huge number of shortcomings in Mirra’s game. And honestly, with the way she’s playing right now, I’ll say this – you can hate me, you can say whatever you want – but she has no prospects of becoming the world No 1 or winning a Grand Slam.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov told First & Red

Andreeva has two WTA 1000 titles to her name. Last year, she clinched two back-to-back trophies at this level. After defeating Clara Tauson in the Dubai Open final, Andreeva upset World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final. But these two wins did not award her a spot in the final eight of the WTA Finals.

You need to look reality straight in the eye. I genuinely want – I’m telling you this honestly – for her to improve as a tennis player and to win a huge number of Grand Slam tournaments, but to do that, something has to change.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov added

Andreeva has so far played five singles finals, losing just one (the 2024 Ningbo Open to Daria Kasatkina). This season, she beat Victoria Mboko in the final of the Adelaide International, prior to which, she lost to eventual runner-up Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International.

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