Mirra Andreeva achieved her first victory over her older sister Erika in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Wednesday. However, the win came in an unfortunate manner, as Erika had to withdraw from the match due to injury while trailing 6-2, 1-0.
Erika had previously defeated Mirra in their only prior professional encounter in Wuhan the previous year. The sisters mentioned that Erika had also won every practice set they played during their childhood. In Stuttgart, Erika entered as a lucky loser and initially broke Mirra`s serve in the opening game. However, Mirra then won the subsequent two games, and Erika requested a medical break after the first game changeover. Erika continued playing with her right knee heavily bandaged, but Mirra dominated the rest of the match.
Following the match, the sisters shared a hug, and Mirra, the No. 5 seed, expressed her gratitude to Erika. She credited Erika for her swift progress into the Top 10 of women`s tennis.
In her on-court interview, Mirra stated that she believes she wouldn`t have reached her current level so quickly if Erika hadn`t started playing tennis earlier. She explained that watching Erika compete in tournaments paved the way for her own career. Mirra emphasized that Erika`s early experiences made it easier for her to immediately participate in larger tournaments and that she might not even be competing in the Stuttgart tournament this year if it weren`t for her sister`s example.
Mirra was aware of Erika`s physical struggles, as they share a room. She expressed mixed emotions after the match, stating that while she should be happy about winning, she was also saddened by the way the match concluded. Mirra expressed confidence in Erika`s recovery and return to full strength.
Despite the bittersweet circumstances, Mirra found a moment for lightness. Noticing her coach Conchita Martínez, Mirra, with a playful look, announced her coach`s birthday and led the crowd in singing `Happy Birthday`, even using Conchita`s full first name, Concepción, with a smile.
Martínez accepted the gesture gracefully, blowing kisses to the audience. Although it was a day of mixed feelings for the Andreeva family, Mirra`s career continues on an upward trajectory. Her next match is against Ekaterina Alexandrova, marking their first encounter, as Mirra aims to reach her fourth quarterfinal of 2025.
