“Be a Man”- Mirra Andreeva Cheekily Confronts Andy Roddick Over Controversial Remarks on Her Coach
Mirra Andreeva is not shy about taking some jibes at Andy Roddick when she appeared on a live show with him. The reigning French Open champion was in a playful mood, even calling out Roddick for some of his comments about her coach when she came on the show.
“I think you may be a little, but yeah, you know, don’t talk to me. You have to talk to her and solve it with her,” said Andreeva during her appearance on the Served Podcast when Roddick asked if he was in Conchita Martinez’s good books. “Yeah, you have to be a man and talk. Yeah. You know, just go talk to her, solve this issue, and I think everything is going to be okay.”
Roddick joined in on the banter, saying, “I was already sweating, and I just felt it get worse.”
When Andreeva came on the show as a guest a few weeks ago, Roddick asked her about the coaching partnership she had with Martinez, with the American light-heartedly highlighting the former Spanish pro’s emotional streak on court during her playing days.
“She was listen, she wasn’t as bad as me, but she, you know, she would slam a ball,” said Roddick on his show while talking about Martinez.
Jokes aside, the partnership Andreeva and Martinez have shared has been pivotal to the Russian’s career and has helped her establish herself as one of the best players on the Tour. The two started their partnership in 2024, and there was an immediate breakthrough for Andreeva, as she reached the semifinals at the French Open, a run that included a win over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
The partnership soon blossomed, with Andreeva winning her maiden Tour-level title in Iasi in 2024, and the following season she had her breakthrough at the WTA 1000 level, winning titles in Dubai and Indian Wells. The Russian has already won two titles in Adelaide and Linz this year, before her French Open triumph.
Working with Martinez has helped Andreeva make tactical changes to her game, but the former Wimbledon champion’s main influence has been shaping the champion’s mindset for the Russian, who has often had emotional breakdowns on court.
Back when she came on Roddick’s show, Andreeva talked about her thought process when she thought about teaming up with Martinez. The young Russian had no issue with having a coach with a less trophy-laden resume, but was adamant about having someone who would call out her mistakes rather than hype her up when she played well.
One would argue that Martinez understood the brief and then some, as she has taken some concrete steps in helping Andreeva deal with her most important vulnerability, which is her emotions on court. Martinez helped Andreeva start the habit of keeping a notebook with her during matches, which would help her take tactical notes and channel her emotions during tough matches.
The French Open win was an excellent example of the Martinez-Andreeva partnership’s success. Heading into Roland Garros, Andreeva was not in a good headspace, having emotional breakdowns in her matches in Indian Wells and Madrid. However, under Martinez’s guidance, Andreeva turned it all around, going on to lift the trophy in Paris.
Rather than being the strict taskmaster, Martinez has attempted to be a friend to the Russian teenager, as was evident in their hilarious to-and-fro at a press conference following the French Open win.
