‘She showed me the way’: Mirra Andreeva pays tribute to ailing sister Erika

Mirra Andreeva achieved her first victory against her older sister Erika on Wednesday in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. However, the win came in an unfortunate manner as Erika was forced to retire due to injury while trailing 6-2, 1-0.

Erika had previously won their only professional encounter 6-3, 6-1 in Wuhan the previous year. According to the sisters, Erika had also been dominant in their childhood practice sets. In Stuttgart, competing as a lucky loser, Erika initially broke Mirra`s serve in the first game, but Mirra then won the next two games. Erika subsequently took a medical time-out at the first changeover. Returning to the court with her right knee heavily bandaged, Erika faced overwhelming play from Mirra for the remainder of the match.

After a post-match embrace, the No. 5 seed, Mirra, expressed her gratitude towards her sister. She acknowledged Erika`s crucial role in her own rapid progression to the Top 10.

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 paved the way for me. Thanks to her, it was easier for me to immediately participate in larger tournaments. If it weren`t for her, I doubt I would be playing in this tournament this year.`

Mirra was aware of Erika`s physical condition, saying, `We share a room, so I knew what she was going through.` Despite her win, Mirra expressed mixed emotions.

`I have honestly weird emotions,` she admitted. `I should be happier about winning, but I`m also very sad that it ended like this. I hope she takes the necessary time to recover and returns even stronger.`

Despite the bittersweet circumstances, the 17-year-old Mirra still showed her lighthearted side. 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`, addressing Martínez by her full first name, Concepción, with a smile.

Martínez responded warmly, blowing kisses to the audience. Although it was a day of mixed feelings for the Andreeva family, Mirra`s career continues its upward trajectory. Her next match will be a first-time encounter with Ekaterina Alexandrova as she aims to reach her fourth quarterfinal of 2025.