Mirra Andreeva Praises Ailing Older Sister After Stuttgart Retirement

Mirra Andreeva
Mirra Andreeva (photo: Porsche AG)

STUTTGART/WASHINGTON, April 17, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

The most intriguing matchup on paper as the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix reached the third day of competition on Wednesday in Stuttgart was the second meeting between World No. 7 Mirra Andreeva of Russia and her older sister, lucky loser Erika Andreeva.

Coming in, Erika had won their only other tour-level match, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round at Wuhan last year. However, a lot has changed for the two sisters since then. After all, 17-year-old Mirra won back-to-back WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Indian Wells on hard courts earlier this season – which skyrocketed her ranking into the Top-10 – and her Stuttgart debut inside Porsche Arena was much anticipated by German tennis fans.

While Mirra received much of the crowd’s support, it was Erika who earned everyone’s sympathy after she was forced to retire due to a right knee injury after just 37 minutes of play. The Andreeva sisters played a total of nine games and Mirra won seven of them. It certainly wasn’t the way they wanted the match to turn out.

In their abbreviated encounter, Mirra struck eight winners and took advantage of 14 unforced errors by Erika. She converted three of three break points and outscored her big sister 30-13. While it wasn’t as entertaining a match as everyone had hoped for, both handled matters professionally.

During her on-court interview, Mirra was asked if she was aware that Erika was struggling with her knee. “Yeah, of course,” she said. “I mean, we share the same room [at the hotel]. Of course, I knew what she had been going through. Honestly, I have a weird emotion. I kind of should be a little bit happy that I won the match, but still I of feel super sad that it ended like this. I’m sure [Erika] is going to take her time and recover and she’s going to come back as strong as she can.”

Then, Mirra took the opportunity to give a shoutout to her older sister that was heartfelt. “If she wouldn’t start playing tennis before me, I don’t think I would play that well this well,” she said. “[Erika] 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.”

Later, during her post-match news conference, Mirra added: “Before going into the match, of course we were both super nervous. Last time we played each other, it went her way, and I couldn’t really handle the nerves.

“I felt like this time I managed to do it better, but then of, course,  think that the match was not at the greatest level because obviously she didn’t feel her best. So it’s not the way we wanted to finish this match, but I’m sure that she’s going to recover fast and we’re going to see her on court soon.”

On Monday, during the pre-tournament Media Day, Andreeva was asked about her first impressions of Porsche Arena and whether the Porsche Macan Turbo sports cars displayed behind the baseline were a distraction.

“Yeah, the view on the center court is super nice,” the Russian teenager said, smiling. “I already thought about which cars I would like to get. But we’re not there yet. I’m just looking around. I still don’t have my driver’s license.”

Last year’s winner, current-World No. 10 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan didn’t have her driver’s license either. So, there is a precedent that’s been established in the tournament.

Looking back, while Wednesday afternoon’s final score line will show that No. 6 seed Mirra won the first-round match over her 97th-ranked, 20-year-old sister to advance to Thursday’s second round against No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, the positive takeaway that fans will remember came when the younger Andreeva led everyone in singing “Happy Birthday” to her coach, former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, at the end her on-court interview.

“It’s my coach’s birthday, and I want to embarrass her a little bit,” Mirra said, grinning and laughing.

Although the “Happy Birthday” sing-along was a little bit off-key, the thought and sentiment left everyone – fans, player and coach smiling – and, Martinez, 53, who blew kisses at Mirra and the crowd, blushing just a little bit.

Swiatek through to fourth straight Stuttgart quarterfinal

Time-time former champion Iga Swiatek reached her fourth straight Stuttgart quarterfinal – and sixth quarterfinal of the season – after dominating 153rd-ranked lucky loser Jana Fett of Croatia, 6-2, 6-2, in an hour and 16 minutes on Center Court. The Polish No. 1 won on her second match point after Fett struck her ninth double fault of the second-round match.

The World No. 2 and second seed Swiatek, who won the 2022 and 2023 Stuttgart titles – and was eliminated in the semifinals last year, – won 81 percent of her first-serve points, struck 16 winners, converted five of 14 break-point opportunities and outpointed Fett 63-38.

“Honestly, even without these previous tournaments, I love spending time in Stuttgart,” Swiatek said during her on-court interview. “I love the atmosphere here on this center court, obviously. It’s close to my home country. So, a lot of Polish people cheering for me. Also, [the fans] are more and more supportive of me every year. For sure, the great memories help even better. Overall, I just love coming back here.”

Later, during her post-match news conference, Swiatek was asked how it felt to be back on Center Court in Porsche Arena. She replied: “I’m happy that I found a little bit of rhythm because, for sure, at the beginning I knew that it’s the first match. So, I gave myself time to feel the court and everything. It felt great. I’m happy that I have another chance to play here.”

Next, Swiatek, who is 11-1 lifetime in Porsche Arena, will face either No. 7 seed Emma Navarro of the United States or No. 24 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, who play Thursday evening, in the quarterfinal round on Saturday.

German Seidel wins her Stuttgart main-draw debut

Lucky loser Ella Seidel needed two hours and 51 minutes to beat 37-year-old wild card Tatjana Maria in an evening battle of Germans on Center Court. However, it was worth every minute in the end for the 20-year-old from Hamburg, who is a member of the Porsche Talent Team. She garnered a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory in her Stuttgart main-draw debut, which advanced her to a second-round matchup against World No. 4 and fourth seed Coco Gauff of the United States on Thursday evening.

The 124th-ranked Seidel, who was ranked No. 151 a year ago when she failed to advance out of Stuttgart qualifying, finished her marathon win with 70 winners to her credit against 46 unforced errors, converted six of nine break points while saving 20 of 26 break points she faced from Maria. She outpointed the 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist 115-113. Seidel put away her victory over Maria with an emphatic, fifth-shot cross-court forehand winner. It was her third WTA tour-level triumph this season in four main-draw matches and it’s the second time in her nascent career she’s reached the last 16 of a WTA 500 tournament.

“It was an amazing experience for me. I’ve never played in front of these many people and in front this many Germans,” Seidel said of her first meeting against Maria, during her on-court interview that was translated from German. “It was so exciting. I’m so happy to win. 

“I was very nervous in the beginning. Tatjana was playing well, but then I found my game, played more aggressively – a little braver – and found my serve. Everything ended well.”

Around the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

• Magdalena Frech of Poland ended a five-match losing streak and earned her first tour-level win since early February with a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (5) victory over 152nd-ranked lucky loser Sara Errani of Italy and in three hours and 12 minutes on Centre Court Wednesday afternoon. Frech struck 53 winners – including 10 aces – and converted five of 13 break points against Errani, who countered with 39 winners but also made 27 unforced errors.

The victory advanced the 28th-ranked Frech (4-9) to the second round against No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula of the United States.

“I still can’t believe it,” Frech said during her on-court interview. “I was on a five-match losing streak. So, it was really important to me to come back after my injury with my wrist [and play well]. I’m very happy I won. It was point by point in the tie-break. Sara is an amazing player on the clay court.”

Frech added: “I think I stayed calm; I didn’t show my emotions once. I’m really happy I’m into the second round.”

• No. 29 Elise Mertens won her 18th match of the season and advanced to her third quarterfinal of the season after defeating No. 8 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia, 6-2, 7-6 (5), in an hour and 48 minutes. Mertens secured the victory just before midnight on her fourth match-point opportunity when the 13th-ranked Shnaider double-faulted away match point No. 4. It happened after Mertens failed to convert any of the first three match points, ahead 5-3 in the second set.

Mertens, who served eight aces and won 76 percent of her first-serve points, hit 28 winners, converted four of 16 break-point chances, took advantage of 35 unforced errors by Shnaider and outpointed her 79-66.

“I want to thank everyone for staying, it was a great atmosphere,” Mertens said during her on-court interview. “I know it’s late, I’m sorry I made it a bit later! I’m very happy to win. [Diana] came back, all credit to her, she played an amazing couple of games. I’m so glad I won the tiebreaker; I didn’t want to play a third set.

“I love the game; I love Center Court. It’s so close to home and I’ve got a lot of family here today. So, it’s all good.”

Next, Mertens will face her former doubles partner, World No. 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, in Saturday’s quarterfinal round. It will be their 11th career meeting with Sabalenka enjoying an 8-2 advantage.

• Court 1 served up a smorgasbord of doubles action throughout Wednesday. There were five matches on the day’s order of play – four of them were first-round action while the fifth was a quarterfinal that advanced one team into the semifinal round.

First-round matches were won by: Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia and Zhang Shuai of China, who defeated Miyu Kato of Japan and Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia, 6-3, 6-2; Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Liudmila Samsonova of Russia, who beat Americans Desirae Krawcyzk and Jessica Pegula, 6-0, 6-7 (3), 10-3; Alexandra Panova of Russia and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, who advanced over Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine and Xu Wifan of China, 4-6, 6-1, 10-5; and No. 4 seeds Asia Muhammad of the United States and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, who defeated Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway and Monica Niculescu of Romania, 6-3, 6-1.

In the quarterfinal round, Timea Babos of Hungary and Luisa Stefani of Brazil defeated Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine, 7-6 (1), 5-7, 11-9, to move into the semifinals against either Panova and Stollar or top seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand, who play Thursday.

Wednesday’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix results

Thursday’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix order of play

By the numbers

• During her 6-3, 6-0 first-round win over Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia on Tuesday night, No. 7 seed Emma Navarro of the United States lost just five of the 31 points played during the second set.

• Iga Swiatek’s win over the 153rd-ranked Jana Fett of Croatia on Wednesday was her 18th straight against a player ranked outside the WTA Top 150.

“Quotable …”

“I became stronger physically and also stronger mentally, compared to last year. I feel like I’m more stable mentally and tennis-wise on the court, as well. I feel like I’m improving step-by-step. In some areas, it’s going faster and in other areas it’s taking more time. We’re working hard every day and I’m happy people can see the results.”

– World No. 7 Mirra Andreeva Russia, during her on-court interview Wednesday, asked to describe where she is with her game now compared to a year ago.

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