Mirra Andreeva, a candidate for the Australian Open, referred to Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis as her inspirations.

If someone believes that members of Generation Z do not have any regard for the past, they have not met Mirra Andreeva.

An up-and-coming star on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour, the Russian player, who is only 17 years old, is not hesitant about expressing her admiration for the greats of tennis, particularly Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis.

It is difficult to find a pair of former world number ones that are more suitable to serve as role models in the game.

In 1988, Graf completed the Golden Slam by winning all 22 major singles titles, including four Australian Opens. He also won the Australian Open.In addition to Graf, Hingis concluded her career with five major singles titles and won multiple Australian Opens in the years 1997 and 1999 (1997-1999).

In addition, the Swiss woman holds the record for being the youngest player to win a major tournament during the Open era. She accomplished this achievement in 1997, when she was only 16 years old and collected the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup trophy at Melbourne Park.

Andreeva has been suggested as a potential future champion at the major tournaments, and she demonstrated that this may be the case sooner rather than later when she advanced to the semifinals of the French Open in the previous year.

Given the draw that she would have to navigate as the 14th seed at the Australian Open, which began on Sunday, it is possible that the Australian Open remains out of reach for her.She acknowledges that her game is still in the process of being developed, which is why she looks to Graf and Hingis as examples of how she may strengthen her own game.

“I have always liked the way Martina Hingis was playing,” Andreeva said to the media who were present at Melbourne Park.

Several parallels have been observed by me. In my opinion, she played clever, and I am also playing smart in the same way that she did.

The difference, in my opinion, is that she never hesitated to step in and finish the point, and she was also more aggressive than the other person.

I’m just getting started with learning how to accomplish it at this point. I am making an effort to coerce myself into finishing the point at the net or entering the court and playing the game.

As soon as she had the chance to do so, she would always come in and try to complete the point in an even more aggressive manner. This is something that I observed frequently when I was watching her play.

To add insult to injury, I would say that Steffi Graf was a tricky player with that slice… When she was finished, she would move her attention to her forehand.

Not just Graf and Hingis are notable champions who serve as a source of motivation for Andreeva.

During the first half of the 2024 season, Conchita Martinez began coaching Andreeva, and the intimate relationship that the two of them share became abundantly obvious following the victory over Bouzková in the first round.

The competition got off to a strong start for Andreeva, who was one of five teens competing in the women’s singles draw. She defeated Marie Bouzková of the Czech Republic by a score of 6-3 and 6-3 on John Cain Arena.