Mirra Andreeva finally got her first win over big sister Erika on Wednesday in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix first round — but not in the way she`d hoped for, advancing when Erika was forced to retire trailing 6-2, 1-0.
Stuttgart: Draws | Scores | Order of play | Tournament info
Erika had won their only professional meeting to date 6-3, 6-1 in the Wuhan second round last year, and according to the sisters had won every practise set they had ever played in their childhood. Competing as a lucky loser in Stuttgart, she broke Mirra in the first game, but dropped the next two and took a medical time-out at the first change of ends. Erika resumed play with her right knee heavily strapped, and thereafter the match was one-way traffic for Mirra.
After sharing an embrace at the end of the match, the No. 5 seed paid tribute to her sister, crediting Erika for her own rapid rise to the Top 10.
`If she wouldn`t start playing tennis before me I don`t think I would play that well this fast,` said Mirra in her on-court interview. `She started playing some tournaments when I didn`t have to, and she showed me the way. Because of her, it was easier for me to start playing bigger tournaments right away. If it wasn`t for her, I don`t think I would be playing this tournament this year.`
Erika`s physical issues did not come as a surprise to Mirra — `We share the same room, so of course I knew what she`s been going through` — but she still had mixed feelings in the aftermath.
`Honestly have weird emotions,` she said. `I should be a little bit happy that I won the match, but still I`m super sad it ended like that. I`m sure she`s gonna take her time and recover, and she`s gonna come back as strong as she can.`
Still, the 17-year-old still found time for some levity. A glint showing in her eye, she turned towards coach Conchita Martínez. With the words `It`s my coach`s birthday, and I want to embarrass her a little bit,` Mirra led the Stuttgart crowd in a rendition of `Happy Birthday`, addressing Martínez by her full first name, Concepción, with a grin.
Martínez took it in stride, blowing kisses to all. It may have been a bittersweet day for the Andreeva family, but Mirra`s star is continuing to rise. Next up will be a first-time encounter with Ekaterina Alexandrova as she bids to reach her fourth quarterfinal of 2025.
