Andreyeva: She has admired Murray since she was thirteen or fourteen; like fine wine, he only gets better with time.

In a recent Tennis Channel interview, Andreyeva did not hide her admiration for the British legend Murray when asked about her idol during her youth.

“I’ve had a crush on Murray since I was thirteen or fourteen. Even now, I feel he’s like fine wine that improves with age. Whenever I see him, I still think, ‘Oh yeah, he’s really impressive,’” Andreyeva stated.

Andreyeva admitted that this has always been an open “secret.” For a long time, she openly showed her liking and admiration for Murray. However, as this story of her “crush” gained attention, she was surprised that what started as a casual remark on camera sparked such widespread interest. She revealed that afterward, whenever she met Murray in the locker room, she would shyly avoid him because seeing him made her blush involuntarily.

“I would walk around to avoid him, wait ten minutes to see if he had left, and only then would I approach. I was so shy that everyone could hear it,” Andreyeva said.

Looking back at her initial confession about Murray during the interview, Andreyeva confessed, “I just said it casually on camera; I never thought he would hear it, nor that it would go viral. I probably just spoke what was on my mind, and then it unexpectedly blew up.”

Andreyeva’s second public declaration of affection for Murray stirred lively discussion on social media. Tennis columnist Tom joked on Twitter, “Murray is now not only famous as a tennis legend but also as a ‘teen idol’ for young players. Honestly, he really does get better like fine wine.”

An overseas netizen commented, “The scene of Andreyeva avoiding Murray feels so familiar! It reminds me of my own school-day crush.” Another user wrote, “What a fairy-tale scenario! But Andy’s golf skills are indeed charming; this girl has good taste!”

Sports psychologist Dr. Lisa Turner analyzed, “Andreyeva’s honesty is refreshing. This innocent admiration reveals the human side of athletes. Such psychological growth might be even more significant than technical improvements.”

In fact, this was not Andreyeva’s first public confession to Murray. At the 2023 Madrid Open, during a post-match interview, she suddenly declared, “Getting the chance to see Andy Murray, to see his face, makes me really happy. He looks incredible in real life, truly amazing!”

As the video spread on social media, Murray joined the conversation and humorously self-deprecated, “Imagine if she fixed her eyesight issues, how amazing she would be!”

In reality, Murray, as a senior figure in tennis, has always admired this younger player. At the 2024 Australian Open, after Andreyeva staged an impressive comeback, Murray immediately praised her mental strength on social media.

“Andreyeva was down 1-5 in the third set… but maybe it was her strong mindset that allowed her to turn it around,” Murray wrote. Upon hearing Murray’s praise, Andreyeva excitedly said, “I’m going to try to print it out somehow, put it in a frame, and carry it with me. I might hang it on my wall so I can see it every day.”

Talking about her current performance at the US Open, Andreyeva expressed satisfaction with her form but added that it would be even better if Murray came to watch her matches!

Currently, Andreyeva has reached the third round of the US Open women’s singles. She easily defeated local player Parks 6-0, 6-1 in the first round and then secured another dominant win against Potapova in the second round.

She revealed that she enjoys shopping in New York: “I like shopping because, I don’t know how to explain it, there’s something about this place that always makes me buy a lot.” Andreyeva also shared that Chipotle, a Mexican-style chain restaurant, is one of her favorites. These off-court pleasures help her maintain balance amid the pressures of professional tennis.

The 18-year-old Andreyeva has grown from the girl who “wiped away tears after losing” at last year’s China Open to a 1000-level tournament champion this year, achieving impressive results in Grand Slams. Her distant admiration for Murray reflects the human side of a rising tennis star’s remarkable transformation on the court.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)