Mirra Andreeva has revealed how she truly feels about Conchita Martinez after her coaching style came under fire following Jessica Pegula’s comments.
Andreeva has been coached by former Wimbledon champion Martinez since April 2024, mentoring the Russian teenager to six titles including Roland Garros earlier this year.
Despite this, Martinez’s coaching style came under fire earlier this year after a live stream, which has since been deleted by the WTA, of Pegula’s practice session was overheard. During this session, Pegula was heard calling Andreeva a ‘diva’ to her coach Mark Knowles, before admitting that she had lost respect for Martinez for not putting her in her place.
Pegula and Andreeva have since poked fun at the situation, suggesting that there is no bad blood between the two players, and now the latter has revealed how she really feels about her coach.
Mirra Andreeva calls Conchita Martinez a ‘great’ person and coach
Andreeva has spoken to WTA media ahead of her first match at the WTA Finals this year, where she was asked about Martinez. Despite recent comments made about her coach, Andreeva was full of praise for Martinez, who she credited for a lot of her success.
“That’s actually how you define Conchita, work and work, that’s all she does,” said Andreeva. “I think she’s a great person and a great coach as well. I think that’s also why I’m able to progress and play better.
“And obviously I think that the stuff she does with me on the court she’s helping me to improve and try to develop a lot of different stuff, a lot of different shots in my game so I’m just very happy we’re able to work together and she’s helping me to improve in every different aspect as a person on the court and as a player off the court as well. So I think a lot of credit has to go to her, I have to admit that.”
Martinez qualified for the WTA Finals 12 times in her career, all in consecutive years, which is the fifth most in history and she has now led Andreeva to making her debut at this year’s tournament.
Mirra Andreeva’s record vs players at the WTA Finals this year
Andreeva narrowly missed out on qualifying for the WTA Finals in singles last year, but the 19-year-old made it safely into this year’s event in Indian Wells. This is where she will be joined by Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Pegula, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova, Linda Noskova and alternate Marta Kostyuk, who replaced world number one Elena Rybakina, who withdrew due to illness.
Andreeva has faced all of these players except Pegula at least once, but she only leads her head-to-head against Muchova and Noskova. Andreeva particularly struggles in her head-to-head against Gauff, who she has lost all six of her previous matches against.
|
WTA Finals players |
Record vs Mirra Andreeva |
|
Aryna Sabalenka |
4-2 Sabalenka |
|
Coco Gauff |
6-0 Gauff |
|
Jessica Pegula |
0-0 |
|
Elina Svitolina |
1-1 |
|
Karolina Muchova |
1-0 Andreeva |
|
Linda Noskova |
4-2 Andreeva |
|
Marta Kostyuk |
3-1 Kostyuk |
Gauff will not be a concern to Andreeva unless she reaches the latter stages of the WTA Finals, as they are in opposite groups to one another. Instead, Andreeva is in Group 2 alongside Sabalenka, Svitolina and Muchova.
Andreeva will make her singles debut at the WTA Finals on Monday, November 9 against Svitolina, who she is level at one win apiece against.
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Esta notícia foi originalmente publicada em: Fonte original