The tennis’ world’s eyes are firmly fixed on rising 16-year-old Kristina Andreeva. Pegged as a potential future star, the Russian prodigy revealed how current greats Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have already helped improve her game significantly.
Speaking after her run to the Australian Open junior final, Andreeva said sharing the practice court with multi-slam champions has accelerated her development exponentially.
“Hitting with Novak and Carlos has been invaluable for my improvement,” Andreeva remarked. “I get to learn first-hand from their intensity, professionalism and work ethic up close.”
Andreeva had the privilege of hitting with Djokovic last summer and recently practiced with Alcaraz in Melbourne. She says standing across the net from such dominant players showed her the micro skills that set true champions apart.
“Their precision is insane,” Andreeva noted. “They expose even the tiniest technical weakness which forces me to problem solve and get better. My margins for error must be so small hitting with them.”
Beyond stroke production, the young Russian says she has picked up many intangibles from Djokovic and Alcaraz as well.
“Their competitiveness stands out in everything they do,” she stated. “Even warm-up points, they grind and lift the intensity which teaches me so much about world-class focus and match mentality.”
As her meteoric rise continues, Kristina Andreeva looks well-positioned to become Russia’s next breakout star. With icons like Djokovic and Alcaraz taking her under their wing, don’t be surprised if this teen phenom is competing for Grand Slams sooner rather than later.
