Mirra Andreeva will always look up to older sister Erika, her 'role model'
NEW YORK -- Mirra Andreeva is a Grand Slam champion. She's a silver medalist. And she'll always be Erika Andreeva's younger sister.
Taking part in US Open media day on Friday, the 19-year-old shed some light on what sisterhood means to her, and how it has benefitted her both in tennis and in life.
"I feel like I had more benefits because I'm younger," Mirra said. "Tennis-wise, I didn't have to play so many tournaments that she did, and maybe that saved me some time. She was always helping me with school. She was also giving me lots of advice.
"I would always copy her, because obviously she was, and she still is, my role model that I'll always look up to."
Erika, three years older than Mirra, has had her fair share of success on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, She has a career-high ranking of No. 65, which she achieved in October 2024, and has won five ITF singles titles, the most recent coming at a W75 in Zagreb in May. After an extended layoff after Wimbledon 2025, she has risen nearly 150 spots in the PIF WTA Rankings and is knocking on the door of a Top 200 return.
Erika also knows the pressure of being a top junior. She reached the 2021 Roland Garros girls' final in 2021 before losing to reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. And while the talented sisters could have easily let their competitiveness damage their relationship, they instead chose to heed the advice of their parents.
"We were never really competitive with each other," Mirra said. "Because our parents always told us that because we're sisters, we're the closest people that we're going to have in life, and we should always support each other.
"We didn't practice together a lot, because it would get messy. Not between each other and our relationship, but it would just -- I don't know. I would get mad, she would get sad that I'm mad, then I'm sad that she's sad. It's a lot of different emotions."
Both sisters were back on court this week at the US Open. Erika lost to Mariam Bolkvadze in the first round of qualifying, while Mirra and partner Andrey Rublev lost in the mixed doubles semifinals.
Mirra will play World No. 35 Janice Tjen in the first round on Monday.
