Russian tennis player Mirra Andreeva, ranked seventh in the world, shared a chilling message she received after a defeat when she was just 14 years old.
“I remember one comment; I was 14 then. I lost in the first round of a tournament after having three match points. Since I lacked experience back then, I went on social media to read the messages people sent me. I remember one message vividly; I remember how scared I was,” Andreeva recalled.
“A guy wrote that I wouldn`t play tennis, telling me to watch my back because he would find me and cut my hands. I started crying hard; it was like a panic attack… Back then, I was afraid to leave my room, thinking he would follow me.”
She added, “Now, of course, I no longer read messages. I am smart enough not to use my phone for a couple of days after losing.”
Andreeva also discussed how she was inspired by a performance from American rapper Snoop Dogg.
“A few years ago, I saw Snoop Dogg perform, and he thanked himself. He said: `Last but not least, I want to thank me.` Then the music started playing. I thought that when I won a tournament, it would be nice to say something like that. After winning in Dubai, I felt it was the right time. I slightly changed the words so it didn`t seem like I copied it completely. I decided, why not? And everyone liked it; they all started laughing. I wasn`t saying it seriously, but then I thought: `Why shouldn`t I thank myself?` After all, I work every day, train, get tired, spend half the day on the tennis court. It`s nice to thank myself. Good job, Mirra, we did it,” Andreeva explained during an appearance on the Tennis Insider Club podcast.
Recall that after winning the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai (UAE), Andreeva gave a speech where she thanked herself for her performance in the tournament.
