At just 17, Mirra Andreeva has taken the WTA Tour by storm, climbing to world No. 6 with three singles titles, including two WTA 1000 crowns in Dubai and Indian Wells in 2025. Yet, amid her meteoric rise, the Russian prodigy has revealed a deeply personal struggle that she considers “the hardest thing in the world” on the professional circuit: competing against her older sister, Erika Andreeva. This emotional confession, shared during a Madrid Open podcast in April 2025, offers a glimpse into the complex dynamics of sibling rivalry and familial bonds as Mirra navigates her ascent in a sport where she’s already rewriting history.
Mirra, who burst onto the scene with a Round of 16 run at the 2023 Madrid Open as a 15-year-old wildcard, faced Erika, ranked No. 97, twice on the WTA Tour. Their most recent clash came at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in April 2025, where Erika retired after Mirra led 6-2, 1-0, leveling their head-to-head at 1-1. The first encounter, at the 2024 Wuhan Open, saw Erika dominate 6-3, 6-1, a match Mirra found mentally taxing. “Yeah honestly, for me when I have to play my sister, we have faced each other twice and now the head-to-head is 1-1,” Mirra said, her voice carrying the weight of their closeness. “For me it’s the hardest thing in the world for the moment, because we are super close and we share everything.”
The Andreeva sisters, born three years apart in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, grew up honing their games together, with Erika often holding the upper hand in childhood matches. “We practiced a lot when we were younger and of course she would always beat me like 6-1 or 6-2. Maybe only 6-3 if I played good or she had a bad day,” Mirra recalled with a laugh during the 2024 US Open. As a junior, Mirra dreamed of winning just a game or two against her sister. “For me, to play her now is harder, because when I was younger I was like ‘Yeah okay, but at least give me to win one game,’” she explained in Madrid. “Of course when I was younger the only thing I wanted was to beat her, because I knew of course I’m not going to stand a chance against her.”
Now, as both sisters evolve—Mirra with her top-10 ranking and Erika breaking into the top 100—their matches have grown more competitive and emotionally charged. “But, of course now I’m improving, she’s improving and now it’s more interesting to see who feels better on the day, who plays better on the day as well. For me to play her now is much harder,” Mirra admitted. The Stuttgart match, though abbreviated, was a microcosm of their dynamic, with Mirra’s all-court game clashing against Erika’s familiarity with her style. “It’s true, because we played each other in childhood a lot,” Erika noted in Stuttgart. “I know where she will most possibly go, and she as well.”
Mirra’s 2025 season has been nothing short of spectacular. After reaching the French Open semifinals and securing an Olympic doubles silver with Diana Shnaider in 2024, she claimed her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai, defeating Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina en route to becoming the youngest champion in the format’s history. She followed it with an Indian Wells triumph over Aryna Sabalenka, cementing her status as a generational talent. In Madrid, she advanced to the Round of 16 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Magdalena Frech, setting up a clash with Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva. “It feels like literally a week ago,” Mirra said of her 2023 Madrid breakthrough, her excitement palpable as she eyes back-to-back quarterfinals.
Yet, the emotional toll of facing Erika lingers. “It was tough for both of us,” Erika said after their Wuhan encounter, a sentiment Mirra echoed in Madrid. With their close-knit relationship—sharing coaches, routines, and dreams—the sisters’ matches blur the line between competition and kinship. As Mirra prepares to turn 18 on April 29, 2025, and faces fewer restrictions under the WTA’s Age Eligibility Rule, her focus remains on growth, both on and off the court. Her ability to channel challenges, like LeBron James’s mantra of mental resilience, has fueled her rise. But against Erika, it’s a test of heart, proving that even for a tennis prodigy, the hardest battles are those fought against family.