Mirra Andreeva recently opened up about her superstitions around food, a habit her coach, Conchita Martinez, has been trying to manage.
Andreeva began working with Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, in April last year. The partnership was widely seen as a positive step for the young star’s career from the moment it was announced.
However, Martinez wasn’t Andreeva’s first choice. Former world No. 1 Dinara Safina revealed that Andreeva had initially approached her for the coaching role, but Safina couldn’t commit.
Similarly, three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters shared that Andreeva had also reached out to her. These efforts underscored the 17-year-old’s determination to find a coach with top-level experience.
Since teaming up with Martinez, Andreeva has made impressive strides. She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open last year, defeating Aryna Sabalenka along the way. She also claimed her maiden WTA title at the Iasi Open and came close to winning a WTA 500 title at the Ningbo Open, where she narrowly lost to Daria Kasatkina after leading 3-0 in the final set.
The Ningbo final was an emotional moment for Andreeva, who broke down in tears during the post-match ceremony. Kasatkina offered her comfort during the press conference, a gesture Andreeva later reflected on with gratitude.
Andreeva admits she can be a challenging player to coach at times due to her emotional nature and occasional teenage outbursts, which sometimes leave Martinez puzzled.
At the Australian Open, she revealed that her superstitions extend to food, insisting on eating the same meals and snacks during tournaments—a quirk that adds another layer of complexity to their partnership.
“It’s pretty complicated to work with me, because if I start the tournament eating chicken and rice, well, I cannot change after I cannot take pasta or I cannot take anything else. I will always take chicken and rice.”
“If I start like this, I’ve got to continue like this. Even if I’m tired, I have no choice, but I have to eat it. Today I start with dried fruits(for on-court snack) so it is dried fruits for Melbourne this year.”
Despite her efforts to break Andreeva’s food superstitions, Conchita Martinez, the former Wimbledon champion, has ended up embracing them in an unexpected way.
After accidentally spilling some powder on a desk while making one of Andreeva’s recovery shakes, Martinez now deliberately spills a little before preparing every shake as part of their routine.
Andreeva’s age and quirky habits don’t hinder the strong bond she shares with her coach. The Ningbo Open runner-up revealed that she feels at ease expressing her emotions with Martinez.
Their relationship strikes a balance between hard work and fun, creating a supportive and enjoyable dynamic both on and off the court.
“I feel very comfortable telling her everything that happens in my life. I don’t know if she wants to hear it, though! But I’m very comfortable sharing with her everything that’s going on.”
“We let ourselves joke around and have some fun. Of course she’s very professional, she knows when the fun is over and when we need to really put the work in, for example, in a tennis court. When we’re off the tennis court, we can have some fun, but of course we also need to take it serious sometimes.”
