CHINA OPEN

September 27, 2025

Mirra Andreeva

Press Conference

M. ANDREEVA/Zhu Lin

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Into the third round here. Well done. What did you think of your match today?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, it was a good match to start the tournament. I knew it would be tough because she was playing at home. I thought that people would support her more, which happened.

I'm super happy with my performance and happy to advance further in the tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How are you finding the conditions out on the Diamond Court in general? Is it different at all than how you remember it the last couple years?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: I played one singles match last year on Diamond with open roof. We played at night, second match after 7, I remember. Today I played first match at 11 with closed roof. Conditions are different. It was very humid. I warmed up on the court. I knew that it would be humid. I prepared myself for that. But it felt like a took a shower honestly because, yeah, it was really hot, really humid (smiling).

Honestly, I like the conditions when the ball goes a little bit heavier. You have kind of more time to think and create something on court. For me these conditions are great. I like to play in China.

Yeah, I'm just happy, again, with my win. I hope maybe next match I also can play on a big court.

Q. In the last few days, rereading some back stories on yourself after Doha and Indian Wells, you were saying you were feeling the pressure at that stage, the extra attention you were getting. In the period from then to now, do you feel things have settled down a little bit more, you're a little bit more comfortable with the added attention you've had this year, or is it still a little bit up and down?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Honestly, I can say that I was fine with all the attention that I was getting. It was more like I was putting pressure myself, on myself. Like, it was not people from outside, it was more me. I was also expecting more from myself.

Now I'm kind of learning how to, I don't know, be nicer and kinder to myself, give myself some time, sometimes not really judge myself too hard and right away. I'm learning new things, learning how to kind of, I don't know, be nicer to yourself.

Yeah, I can say that now it's a little bit easier. Obviously sometimes there are days when it's still hard. I'm learning and improving how to make it easier for me. I think that for now it does feel easier. I'm just trying to kind of learn this new technique that I'm trying to use.

Q. About new things, your game developed so much to when you were with Jean-René. At this time of the season it appears that you start to think about your season. What other pieces you can add to your game? Something already in your mind?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, I think I was playing not bad throughout the whole season. Obviously I think I was on top of my game when I won those two tournaments. After, again, all those aspects came up. It was also harder to find my rhythm.

I just think that now, with every tournament that I play, I'm trying to find that rhythm again, find that mindset again. Sometimes it works, sometimes it is a little bit harder.

I'm trying to work on myself every day and improve, as well. I can say that I've improved a lot compared to the beginning of the year. There are a lot of shots and a lot of moments where I can say, like, this has improved 30%, 40%. I think that's a good thing.

We're going to keep on improving 'cause I still want to play one last tournament this year, a very important one. I still need to win some matches, win some points. I hope that I can make it.

After all of the tournaments, we will talk with Conchita and see where we can improve more and we will rate the year.

Q. On those improvements, obviously in the spring it seemed like you were really embracing a much more aggressive mindset, really taking advantage of that. How has that mentality either maintained or changed? Have you still committed to that game style or have there been moments where you pulled back and gone back to the style that you're more comfortable with?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, I can say that, like, the beginning of the year I really tried to focus on being more aggressive. I remember WTA, they posted a post with statistics that I think I was on the first place, player with most winners on tour. When I saw it, I was like, Me? Really? I was never famous for hitting a lot of winners and being super aggressive. I was like, Okay, this is a good sign.

After, I felt like I was a little bit afraid to miss, maybe afraid to make some mistakes. I tend to sometimes maybe take a step back and just put the ball back in the court, which now doesn't really work with these great players.

Now I'm trying just to force myself to hit. It's working 'cause even today, like, in the beginning of the match, it was pretty tight, first couple of games. I told myself, Just go for your shots. Even if you miss, it's better to miss like this than to just being passive and putting the ball in the court. I told myself that.

Actually in the end, it worked. I didn't miss a lot. I guess I'm just going to stick to this.

Q. Last year at this time you were 22. Now you're a career high of 5. If you had to pinpoint one specific thing that has helped you make that jump - technical, physical, mental, a bit more maturity - what would you suggest?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Uhm... I can say that everything that you mentioned I took maybe one step higher in all of that. I became a little bit more mature. I'm not trying to leave the court earlier just because I want to go home. For example, I want to do the press, take my time for lunch, take my time for treatment. I do all my stuff. I take my time. I don't rush to just go home and watch Netflix. I just want to be a professional and do all the things that I have to do here. After I can relax and do what I do off court, off site.

I can also say my mindset has changed compared to last year. I just had one goal in mind: be top 20. I did it. After I was like, I'm top 20, so now what? After I was kind of lost a little bit.

Also I can say that my physicality improved, as well. All those little aspects I can say that we worked well and I can see the progress and improvement, which gives a lot of motivation to work more and more further. That's what we're going to do.

I hope that I can improve even more.

Q. You mentioned earlier you enjoy playing the China swing. What is it about this section of the season that you like? Specifically on China Open, what has stood out to you this year?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Honestly, here the conditions for me are very different to, I don't know, last tournament that we play before China, which is New York. The conditions are super different.

But I love it because the courts are a little bit slower, the bounce is a little bit higher. It's usually a bit more humid than in New York. Everything slows down a little bit. The ball gets heavy. I like it when I have a little bit more time to think and create something during the point and during the match.

I love the conditions here in Beijing. Also the support of the fans is unmatchable. I always have like a full court packed, even when I practice for 20 minutes. I was like, Okay, I don't do anything that other player doesn't do.

Yeah, for me, it also gives a lot of motivation because people, they genuinely are supportive. They're so happy when you do well, like I'm part of their family. I receive so much support, it's just crazy.

I think that for me personally, that gives a lot of motivation to just work and try to win matches here.