World No. 7 Mirra Andreeva answered questions about her childhood.
– When you were 10 years old, a video was recorded with you where you said that you wanted to win all the Grand Slam tournaments, and even the Olympics to boot. At what point and in connection with what did you realize that you could become a great tennis player, and you had such ambitions?
– I think every child who starts their journey in sports dreams of big, big goals. Most likely, all children dream of becoming the first racket of the world and winning all the `Slams` and the Olympics. Perhaps I was just one of those children. But I still haven`t done any of this yet. I hope everything is ahead. Therefore, I will just continue to believe in myself and work, work, work.
– Was there a moment in childhood or adolescence when you truly believed in yourself?
– In childhood, probably not. And at the junior level, it is difficult to say that I am the coolest here and will beat everyone. Everyone generally knows that victories at the junior level are not particularly indicative. Of course, now I would say that I am quite confident in what I do on the court. Not that I am self-confident, but I am confident in my game.
– Your first coach abroad, the Frenchman Jean-Rene Lisnard, told me that Russian parents, when they believe in their tennis child, are ready to do absolutely everything for him and even more. What did your dad and mom do that impresses you most now?
– If we needed to go to some tournament and I, conditionally, wanted my dad to go with me, he would drop everything and go with me. Because I wanted it that way. Or vice versa: if I wanted my mom to go with me, we somehow organized everything so that it would be exactly like that. They just listened to Erica and me and helped us do what we love. And they still do. For which I am very grateful to them.
– Have you ever thought about the fact that for the sake of tennis you sacrificed a significant part of your childhood and did not spend time like all ordinary children? And weren`t you angry about it?
– I wasn`t angry. I actually had a wonderful childhood. When I remember it, I almost get tears in my eyes. Because it was just a golden time! I spent a lot of it at my grandparents` house. We spent the whole summer with them, playing everything possible with Erica. Unfortunately, in the middle of some of our games, parents would come, pick us up and take us to training, and it was always sad and depressing. But I don’t regret anything at all. My childhood is a very precious time for me.
Marcus Blakely 
Gilbert Pendleton