Mirra Andreeva credited inspiration from basketball legend LeBron James as a key factor in her impressive comeback victory against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the BNP Paribas Open final. The King himself has recognized her achievement.
In a Tennis Channel interview following her 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 turnaround against Sabalenka, Andreeva mentioned recalling an old interview with the four-time NBA MVP when she was trailing in the match. This victory marked her second win in six encounters with the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Andreeva recounted James’s words: ‘He was saying that even if you don’t play your 100%, or even if you don’t feel like you’re there 100% physically, I’m going to choose to be 100% mentally.’
‘He said that that’s what makes us champions, so I kind of tried to do the same. It didn’t really work in the beginning, but with some time, in the end, I managed to overcome that, really tried to go for my shots, and act like one of the legends.’
On Monday, James shared the interview clip on his Instagram story, sending a special message to the 17-year-old tennis star.
‘Mirra, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!’ James posted. ‘Happy to have helped but honestly YOU did THAT!! All your hard work, drive and dedication towards your craft! KEEP GOING!’ He concluded his message with the hashtag #striveforgreatness.
James isn’t the only celebrity inspiring Andreeva. In her victory speeches after securing her first two WTA 1000 titles, she thanked herself, echoing a famous quote by rapper Snoop Dogg from his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony.
‘I would again like to thank myself for fighting until the end and for always believing in me and for never quitting,’ Andreeva stated in her victory speech.
‘I tried to run like a rabbit today,’ she added, acknowledging Sabalenka’s aggressive playing style. ‘It was really hard to just keep up, so I just tried my best and that’s why I would thank myself because I think I played a little part [in the win], also.’
