MELBOURNE, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Mirra Andreeva’s specially-designed jacket emblazoned with her catchphrase, “I want to thank myself” spent 10 months at the bottom of her suitcase before the Russian teenager finally got to wear it after winning the Adelaide Open on Saturday.
The 18-year-old has famously thanked herself after winning titles — a quote which she “stole” from U.S. rapper Snoop Dogg — but the jacket had been sitting unused since her last victory at Indian Wells in March.
The jacket was given to her by Nike after she won WTA 1000 tournaments in Dubai and Indian Wells last year.
“I had this jacket right after Indian Wells. After Indian Wells I didn’t win anything until Adelaide. And I was carrying it in my suitcase for every single tournament I would go,” Andreeva told reporters at Melbourne Park.
“It was a nice present from Nike team when I won the two 1000 tournaments and since then it was sitting in my suitcase, waiting for the moment. In Adelaide when I went to the final, I put it in my bag on the bottom, just to have it but not to forget it was there.
“Luckily I got a chance to wear it for the first time.”
Andreeva, who is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, said she worked hard on her game after a disappointing swing of tournaments in Asia where she failed to reach a quarter-final and suffered two first-round exits.
“There was also a lot of talking done during the off-season, a lot of work that we put in tennis-wise and mental-wise as well. I feel like we are two different people if we compare me and me now and me in October,” she said.
“But I just hope that I will be able to keep this kind of mindset for as long as I can because now I feel like, with the win especially, I feel more and more confident in what I do on the court.”
Eighth seed Andreeva, who has reached the fourth round twice in Melbourne, faces Croatian Donna Vekic in the first round on Monday.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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