Mirra Andreeva will be playing at the same tournament as Serena Williams for the first time in her career at Wimbledon.
Andreeva won Roland Garros earlier this month, and will be hoping to go back-to-back at Wimbledon this year.
Despite being the most recent Grand Slam champion, Andreeva is certainly not the biggest name at Wimbledon with Williams returning to singles competition at SW19.
Williams will play Maya Joint in the first round, and Andreeva has revealed how she would have felt to have been drawn against the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Mirra Andreeva admits she would not have wanted to play Serena Williams
Andreeva was asked about Williams in her pre-Wimbledon press conference, with the 19-year-old admitting that she never thought they would be at the same tournament.
The world number five then went on to confess that she would not have wanted to play Williams in the first round draw, with Andreeva explaining how nervous she would have been.
“Honestly, I would never think of that,” said Andreeva. “Of course, I was watching her matches when I was younger, and of course I was following what she does and cheering for her when she would win those Grand Slams. I would never think I would actually play the same tournament as her.
“When I arrived on-site and I was warming up for my practice, they were doing the draw ceremony, I was watching like this because I don’t think anyone in the draw would have wanted to play against Serena. I’m going to speak for myself. I wouldn’t want to play against Serena (laughter). I would be just very nervous.
“But I just think that it’s amazing that she came back. She came back for doubles, but now she’s going to play singles as well. I don’t know. It’s incredible to see.”
Andreeva could only play Williams if they both reach the final of Wimbledon this year.
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Mirra Andreeva suggests if she would have wanted more time after winning Roland Garros
Andreeva has only played one match since winning her first Grand Slam at Roland Garros, having lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Bad Homburg Open.
There are just three weeks between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and Andreeva was asked if she would have wanted more time following her triumph in Paris.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” answered Andreeva. “I felt like timing-wise, obviously I would have wanted to have a little bit more time. That’s how the schedule is. That’s how the calendar is on tour. I just had to go with it.
“I had some short but very sweet time with my family. We just rested. I didn’t play tennis for a couple of days. Obviously after I had to get back to practice.
“I do think that even if maybe Wimbledon would have been a little bit further away, timing-wise I would have still maybe come back to practice maybe around the same time. So I don’t know. That’s okay for me.”
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Andreeva will be hoping to return to winning ways at Wimbledon, where she faces Magda Linette in the first round on Monday, June 29.
This will be a fifth meeting between the two players, with Andreeva leading the head-to-head against Linette 3-1.
