"She has a great mentality," Andreeva praises Gauff ahead of Roland-Garros
World No. 6, Mirra Andreeva, has won two major titles on the WTA circuit, in Dubai and Indian Wells. On clay, the 18-year-old Russian player was eliminated in the second round in Stuttgart, before reaching the quarter-finals in Madrid and then in Rome.
However, each time, Andreeva was stopped by Coco Gauff, whom she has never beaten in four encounters. The two young women, who trained together in Rome, could face each other in the semi-finals on the French clay if they make it that far. Asked about the world No. 2, Andreeva expressed her admiration for her rival.
"Coco Gauff is a very athletic player. It's always very difficult to finish a point when playing against her because she is also very aggressive. You can feel that she is always there; she runs for every ball and always tries to bring one more ball back on the court.
It's not pleasant to play against someone who runs for every ball, but, on the other hand, she has a great mentality, she always fights until the end and on every point.
All players fight for every ball, but I feel like she tries to put much more pressure on her opponents. Her backhand is also very good, as well as her serve.
She's a great player, that's why she won a Grand Slam. When I have the opportunity to face her again, I think I'll have to accept all that and try to give my best," Andreeva said to Punto De Break before competing against Cristina Bucsa.
French Open