ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 16, 2026

Mirra Andreeva

Press Conference

M. ANDREEVA/D. Shnaider

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Mirra, congrats. You're through to the final. How are you feeling?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, today was a great match. I'm super happy with the level that we showed today on the court. I was very nervous before the match, so just so excited to be in the final again, and I can't wait for tomorrow's match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just, at the start of the match, she broke you early. It looked like maybe you were a little bit nervous or weren't feeling quite right early. Then you got your game into gear fairly quick after that. Is that how it felt out there?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, I would say pretty it felt much like you said. I was nervous before the match. I felt like she took advantage of that. She was playing free. She was playing aggressive. She was going for her shots. Obviously, when I was a little bit passive the things went her way.

But then after I was like, well, if she's free, if she's not nervous, then I have to raise my level up, because like this I'm not going to win.

I managed to break her back. Then after that I just felt the rhythm of the game, felt like how I should play against her, and then it went my way in the end.

Q. How hard is it playing someone who you play doubles with, and you're close friends with? Is that tricky, or do you just have to pretend she's someone that you don't like or that you don't know?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, obviously, it's not easy, because you know that she knows how you're going to play probably against her. And I know that she knows that ... wait. I know that she knows how I'm going to play against her. It's like a little bit of a mind game.

I feel like in the beginning I was also trying to do something that she wouldn't expect me to do, something that's not really my game. So it's more a little bit like to force yourself to play like you usually play against any opponent on the WTA circuit. In the beginning I struggled with that a little bit.

Then after I was, throughout the whole match I was trying to think that, you know, she's not my friend. I don't know who she is. She's just a stranger. I have no idea who I'm playing against. And I was just focusing on the ball that was coming from the other side.

Q. For the final, you've got Victoria coming up. Obviously she's risen from out of nowhere for the last 12 months. A rise similar to what you did two years before that. It's going to be a nice contrast of styles as well. What are you expecting from that match against Vicky?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, I know Vicky since I'm 12, so it's also more or less the same situation like today. She's been playing great tennis, last season especially. She won a 1000 title. I felt like she's been playing well, and she's been raising her level tournament to tournament.

I think it's going to be a great match. It's going to be very entertaining. She's a very nice girl. I think that we're good friends. Yeah, it's going to be a very nice match, super interesting. I just can't wait for tomorrow's match.

Q. Around this period last year you lost to Sabalenka in the fourth round of the Australian Open. Looking back, what did you work on after that match, and how far do you think you've come as a player since then?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, yeah, last year when I lost to Aryna, I felt like she just killed me. Like I didn't really have much to do on the court. I felt like I was being overplayed. She was overhitting me. She was kind of all over the court. I was struggling to find chances to start winning, or to start winning more points here and there.

So after that I felt like, first, I've improved physically. I became stronger. I started moving better on the court as well. Also mentally, which is super important. Now I'm trying not to focus on who I play against, either if it's Aryna or Vicky or Diana, whoever. I'm trying to just focus on the ball that's coming from the other side. I feel like that's helping me mentally to stay calm and focused on what I have to do on the court.

I feel like since then we did a good job with Conchita, and my fitness coach, and my psychologist as well. We've been working on a lot of things. Now I really can see the improvement.

Q. Obviously an all-teenage final coming up here. What do you think that says about the present and the future of women's tennis?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, I think that's great. I don't remember when this happened last time, when two teenagers shared a final together. I think that's great. Because if, for example, I don't know, a legend from WTA leaves, we all know that we are here. So it's not going to be boring. We're going to keep everyone entertained.

It's great to start super early, when all of the great players are still playing, and they have like, I don't know, 10, 15 more years to play on the circuit, and then here we are already playing against each other in the final. I think it's all about positives, and, yeah, I'm just happy to share the final with Vicky tomorrow.

Q. We had Vicky in here before and she said that she played you quite a few times in the juniors. Can you remember anything about that?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, we played against each other on some juniors ITF tournaments. I remember I played her in Washington. It was a J1 tournament before going to US Open Juniors. So, yeah, I remember I was playing against her. I remember she always had like a huge team of Tennis Canada Federation. And I was like small, just me and my mom.

So, yeah, I remember playing against her. I think we played twice, like following years, at the same tournament. So, yeah, I think we only played twice in juniors. It was like in 2022. So, you know, I don't think we can really take anything from those matches.

Q. Did you win?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yes. (Laughing.)

Q. How do you assess her game? She's got a big, powerful forehand, a great serve. What will you be looking out for in particular tomorrow?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Yeah, I know that she likes to take the ball early. She likes to be aggressive on the court. She likes to dictate the point as well. She has a great serve.

So I will just try to kind of manage my level of the game, stay on the same level as she is. If she hits the ball, I mean, I can also hit the ball. I'm sure she's going to hit a lot of winners. She's going to hit a few aces here and there.

So me, I will just have to stick to the plan, do what I always do, play my game, and be focused from the beginning to the end. Then we'll see how it's going to go.

But, for sure, no matter the result, I think the match is going to be great. And, yeah, once again, honestly, if I could have played tonight, I would have played. Because, I don't know, for some reason I'm so excited to go on court tomorrow. It's also my first finals since Indian Wells, so I'm super excited on how things are going now. So, yeah, just can wait for tomorrow's final, tomorrow's match.

Q. How do you relax tonight? Do you go out? Do you stay in?

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, I haven't decided yet. There is a really nice steakhouse close to our hotel. And there is an amazing dessert. It's like a chocolate fondant with pistachio sauce inside. And I'm debating whether I should go and have the dessert, or whether I should just should stay in the room and watch some Netflix. So I haven't decided yet. But, yeah, it's a tough one, but I'll think about it. I don't know yet.

Q. Go for the dessert.

MIRRA ANDREEVA: Probably that's what I'm going to do. (Laughing).