Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva says she is embracing her status as defending champion at the BNP Paribas Open.
The 18-year-old produced one of the best runs in her young career in Indian Wells 12 months ago when she beat top 10 players Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the title. She became the youngest champion of the event since 1999, as well as one of the youngest women in the Open Era to beat the world No.1 and world No.2 at the same tournament.
Since winning Indian Wells, Adreeva’s only other title win was in January at the Adelaide International. She was also a quarter-finalist at both the French Open and Wimbledon. However, Andreeva hasn’t recorded a win over a top 10 player since last July.
“I was kind of struggling to play and use that level in all the tournaments that I played. So it was kind of a little bit on and off, which was also a new experience for me,” she said of her past 12 months on the Tour.
“But now if that happens again, I know how to deal with it and I know what to do.
“I wouldn’t say that I lost the level that I was playing. I was just kind of not using it every time that I would play the tournaments.”
Coming into the tournament, Andreeva had some valuable experience of what it is like to be the defending champion at the Dubai Tennis Championships. She was beaten in the quarter-finals by second seed Amanda Anisimova in a closely contested encounter.
“I was worried about defending points in Dubai since Roland Garros,” she explains.
“I was thinking about it a lot, but when I came to Dubai the only thing I felt was the excitement of being there again, feeling new emotions at the tournament as defending champion.
“It was all new to me but I didn’t feel the pressure ?for some reason as I thought I would. And here it’s the same thing. I’m just so excited to be here as a defending champion, to see my photos almost everywhere.
“It’s just nice to be here again and now I don’t feel any pressure defending points.”
Historically, defending the title in Indian Wells has been notoriously hard for the women. The only person to do so in the tournament’s history was Martina Navratilova, who claimed the title in 1990 and 1991 when the event was a tier 2 tournament.
Andreeva, who is coached by Concita Martinez, is seeded eighth in this year’s draw. She will open up against either Solana Sierra or Peyton Sterns.
