Mirra Andreeva achieved her first victory over her older sister, Erika, at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in the first round on Wednesday. However, the win was bittersweet as Erika had to withdraw from the match due to injury, trailing 6-2, 1-0.
Erika had previously defeated Mirra in their only professional encounter in Wuhan last year and, according to the sisters, had always won in their practice sets growing up. In Stuttgart, Erika, entering as a lucky loser, initially broke Mirra`s serve but then lost the next two games and took a medical timeout. She returned with her right knee heavily bandaged, but Mirra then dominated the rest of the match.
After the match concluded with a sisterly embrace, the No. 5 seed, Mirra, paid tribute to Erika. She acknowledged Erika`s significant influence on her swift progression into the Top 10 of women`s tennis.
In her on-court interview, Mirra stated, `If Erika hadn`t started playing tennis before me, I don`t think I would have reached this level so quickly. She began competing in tournaments before I did, and she really showed me the ropes. Because of her, it was much easier for me to start playing in bigger tournaments right away. I doubt I would be playing in this tournament this year if it wasn`t for her.`
Mirra was aware of Erika`s physical struggles, saying, `We share a room, so I knew what she was going through.` Despite winning, Mirra expressed mixed emotions. `I have weird emotions, honestly,` she admitted. `I should be happy that I won, but I’m also very sad that it ended like this. I’m confident she will take the necessary time to recover and come back even stronger.`
Despite the emotional match, Mirra also brought a light-hearted moment to the court. With a playful look, she turned to her coach, Conchita Martínez, and announced, `It`s my coach`s birthday, and I want to embarrass her a little bit.` Mirra then led the Stuttgart crowd in singing `Happy Birthday` to Martínez, using her full name, Concepción, with a smile.
Martínez responded with good humor, blowing kisses to the audience. While it was a day of mixed feelings for the Andreeva family, Mirra`s career continues its upward trajectory. Her next challenge will be against Ekaterina Alexandrova, marking their first-ever match, as Mirra aims for her fourth quarterfinal of 2025.
