‘She still is my role model’: Mirra Andreeva opens up on sister Erika’s influence

New York, Aug 29 (IANS) Grand Slam champion and Olympic silver medallist Mirra Andreeva reflected on the person who has remained one of the biggest influences on her journey, saying her elder sister Erika has always been her role model as the two Russian players returned to the spotlight during the US Open.

Speaking during US Open media day, the 19-year-old explained how growing up alongside Erika, who is three years older, shaped both her development as a tennis player and her life away from the court.

“I feel like I had more benefits because I’m younger. Tennis-wise, I didn’t have to play so many tournaments that she did, and maybe that saved me some time. She was always helping me with school. She was also giving me lots of advice,” Mirra said, as quoted by WTA.

“I would always copy her, because obviously she was, and she still is, my role model that I’ll always look up to,” she added.

For Mirra, the relationship has been built less on rivalry and more on the support encouraged by their family from an early age. Despite following similar paths in professional tennis, the sisters have avoided allowing competition to define their bond.

“We were never really competitive with each other,” Mirra said. “Because our parents always told us that because we’re sisters, we’re the closest people that we’re going to have in life, and we should always support each other.

“We didn’t practice together a lot, because it would get messy. Not between each other and our relationship, but it would just—I don’t know. I would get mad, she would get sad that I’m mad, then I’m sad that she’s sad. It’s a lot of different emotions.”

While Mirra has emerged as one of the leading names of her generation, Erika has also built an accomplished career of her own. The elder Andreeva reached a career-high ranking of World No. 65 in October 2024 and has collected five ITF singles titles.

Her most recent title came at the W75 tournament in Zagreb in May. Erika has also made significant progress in the rankings following an extended break after Wimbledon 2025, climbing nearly 150 places as she nears a return to the Top 200.

Before establishing herself on the professional circuit, Erika experienced the pressures that come with being among the game’s top juniors. She reached the girls’ final at Roland Garros in 2021, where she finished runner-up to Linda Noskova, who has since become Wimbledon champion.

The sisters’ US Open campaigns, however, have taken different turns this week. Erika’s run ended in the opening round of qualifying following her defeat to Mariam Bolkvadze. Mirra, meanwhile, was also denied a place in the mixed doubles final after she and Andrey Rublev lost in the semi-finals.

Attention will now turn to Mirra’s singles campaign in New York, with the 19-year-old set to face World No. 35 Janice Tjen in the first round on Monday.

–IANS

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