"I'm a fan of Mirra, and it's not just about tennis."
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova started the season brilliantly: for the first time since 2019, she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and fought on equal terms with Arina Sobolenko. The Russian broke the world number one's streak of 25 sets won in Melbourne, and in the decisive game she led twice with a break, but still could not put the squeeze on the tournament favorite. After Australia, our award-winning tennis player began to have health problems, so Pavlyuchenkova was forced to withdraw from tournaments in Doha and Indian Wells. Now Anastasia is gradually recovering and really wants to get to at least one more quarterfinal of the Grand Slam tournament in 2025.
Also in an exclusive interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, Pavlyuchenkova spoke about her new coaching team, the support of the young man who accompanies the tennis player on the tour, and also commented on the latest results of Mirra Andreeva, Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev.
Tsitsipas' former coach
— You've had a very bright start to the season. At the Australian Open, you reached the quarterfinals. Did this result give you a powerful boost for having a great time in 2025?
— I have mixed feelings about this performance. I finished last season pretty early by our standards (Anastasia played her last match in early September 2024 at the US Open, - Ed.). I had several months at my disposal. I actively rested and did little physical training. The preseason was also relatively short. Therefore, it seemed to me that I would not get in good shape for Australia, that I was not mentally ready for a serious fight. I was setting myself up for Adelaide and Melbourne to get involved in the season. And so, without high expectations, without too much press, I managed to perform well. Of course, this gave even more motivation to continue. I wanted to play in the same vein at the Abu Dhabi - Doha — Dubai tournaments, but, unfortunately, I was covered by viruses and infections. My immune system couldn't handle the strain, so I missed a number of tournaments, and I couldn't play at full strength in others.
— Is your condition better now?
— Actually, I'm still taking antibiotics. At the same time, I'm doing OFP, but I still can't train at full strength. Although, as I like to say, I'm already kicking, as I want to get back in good physical shape, play at the usual level and win. I hope this can be done as soon as possible. At the same time, I understand my body much better and don't force things.
— Back in Melbourne, you had a dress of your own design, trimmed with bows. Very stylish.
- thanks. I've been wanting to implement the idea with my own form for a long time. Play in a dress that will not look like the outfits of other players. I'm glad it finally worked out. Lavender is one of my favorites, and yellow elements are the main associations with sunny Australia. As for the bow, I wanted to add a twist, tennis allows it. I also have an all-black dress, but I couldn't play in it in Dubai and Miami. I was assigned to morning sessions and it would have been impractical because of the heat. I'm also preparing a very cool outfit for the ground, I hope it will be a surprise for the fans.
— I remember we talked after your successful performance at Roland Garros 2023 and you had a purely French coaching team. Then you worked with three Italians. Has something changed now?
— Yes, there have been many changes. Unfortunately, not all coaches can travel with a player all the time, and some are not quite competent, to put it mildly.
— Could you tell us the names of the specialists you are currently working with? If it's not a secret.
— It's not a secret. Now my sparring partner is Yannick Mertens from Belgium. He played on the tour for many years, was in the top 200. Another Belgian, Jos Grewig, is also helping me. Previously, he worked with Tsitsipas, helped him put a backhand with one hand. He was with me from Cincinnati to the US Open. Plus I spent the whole pre-season, but after Adelaide I flew home. We also work with the German Fabian Donsbach. He stays behind the scenes more. Conducts analytics, makes up my training program. That's how I accidentally got a Belgian-German team.
— Unfortunately, you didn't have a good ground season last year. On the other hand, you don't have to protect your rating points.
— I don't have pressure because of the protection of rating points. This is not my first priority. It's more important for me to play another quarterfinal and try to compete for the Grand Slam final. I mean, I don't mind being in the top 10, but a successful performance at major tournaments is more important.
Last year, my glasses didn't really "burn" either. But after a fairly successful start to the season, when I was running high enough in the championship race, I got caught up. I thought that I should continue playing with the same intensity, and this led to not very good consequences. This year I will try to take a different approach to this.
Tennis is a lonely sport, and it's not close to me.
— You are one of the most decorated Russian tennis players in history, but you have never been in the top 10. Is it a shame?
— It's a shame that's not quite the right word. It's rather strange: I finished in 11th place in 2021, although I played in the Grand Slam finals and was successful in a number of other major tournaments. I analyzed this moment, and everyone who played the TBSH final got into the top 10. Take the same Caroline Mukhova and Danielle Collins. Maybe I'm not destined to be in the top ten. I don't know. You just have to try to do everything to the best of your ability.
When I returned from a serious knee injury and practically missed the 2022 season, my motto was: I need to play and train so that at the end of my career I would say that I had done everything I could. And I have nothing to regret.
— You remembered the year 2021, which turned out to be very bright for you.
— Then everything really coincided. It seemed that after several successful tournaments there would be a recession, but I had the strength to play well enough over a long distance. I thought it would be very difficult at the Olympics, but every day in Tokyo I felt better and better. And at the end of the year, we also managed to win the Billie Jean King Cup with the national team. It's a great time.
— You mentioned your boyfriend several times. Could you tell us what he does?
— Now in real estate, previously in the restaurant business.
— It's great that he supports you at tournaments.
— I don't know how long my career will last, but his support is very important to me. Tennis is a lonely sport, and it's not close to me. I played well at the Olympics, in all the team tournaments. I like the team atmosphere when everyone supports each other. When I was lonely, I performed below my capabilities. Especially when I moved from the juniors to the pros and realized that the friendship between the tennis players was over at this stage. And almost all the competitors look at you unfriendly, sometimes even angry. So I repeat, I really appreciate that he is able to accompany me to tournaments.
— Did I understand correctly that he lives in Rome?
— We lived in Rome for a while, and it wasn't easy. It's one thing to come to the Italian capital as a tourist, enjoy the many sights and delicious food. It's different to live there. Rome has crazy traffic jams, it's quite noisy because of the massive flow of tourists, and I'd say it's a little dirty. We are currently based in the south of France. I've been living here plus or minus since I was 15 years old, ever since I trained with Patrick Muratoglu. This location is very close to me.
— Do you miss Moscow?
— I miss you periodically. After all, my family is in Moscow. I want to see my parents, nephew, and niece more often. I was in September, and I only came for a few days after I finished with the 2025 Australian Open. Plus, in general, I consider Moscow to be a very cool city. Clean, modern, and comfortable enough.
I was too shy to talk about my depression
— If I may, I would like to ask you about other Russian tennis players. What do you think about Mirra Andreeva's rapid progress?
— I'm a fan of her, and it's not just about tennis. The way she holds herself in public, the way she gives interviews. Her spontaneity is impressive. I don't even know what words to use: phenomenon, prodigy. I remember myself at her age.… It's clear that teenagers are a little different now. Probably more adapted to popularity and other things, they are ready to interact more easily with the media.
— Did you watch the Olympic Doubles final with Mirra and Diana Schneider?
— Unfortunately, no. There was a tournament in Washington at the same time and, it seems, there was an overlap. I remember Dasha Kasatkina and I watching Mirra's mixed doubles match with Daniil Medvedev. I don't think I've seen anything else from Paris.
— Speaking of Daniel. Next week, he will drop out of the top 10 for the first time since February 2023. Do you think he will return to the top 5?
— It's hard for me to talk about his game and potential. I don't follow the men's tour that much. Yes, I watch the matches, but I don't know the nuances.: what works and what doesn't. However, it is impressive how all his opponents in face-to-face matches boldly go to the net. It's a nuance, but it's definitely not for me to talk about it. Daniil has a professional team, he is a very experienced tennis player. He knows his weaknesses and strengths. I think he will deal with these difficulties.
— Is there a feeling that the competition in the men's tour has increased significantly? Many young talents have played at an incredible level this year.
— There is probably such a moment. Fonseca, Menshik, Letienne... But I still haven't seen such cool young ATP players like Mirra.
— Is Andreeva Jr. able to finish this year in the top 3?
— I think so. She can also win the Slam this season. Just look at her wins in Dubai and Indian Wells. She won against famous rivals with such ease, as if nuts were cracking (17-year-old Andreeva became the youngest champion in Dubai and the youngest champion in Indian Wells after Martina Hingis (1998) and Serena Williams (1999). Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova remains the youngest Indian Wells semifinalist. In 2009, she was 17 years and 254 days old, — Ed.).
Therefore, anything is possible, and my "favorite" phrase fits perfectly here: "This is a women's tour." I see that a lot of sensations have started to happen in men's. And if I were in the guys' shoes, I'd keep quiet about this topic now (smiles). If they used to have a stable four players who won all the titles, now I don't notice that.
— Last year, you very nicely congratulated Andrey Rublev on his birthday, saying that he strongly supported you during the recovery phase from a serious injury. They were not afraid of his repost of a video about male depression and suicide, as well as a January interview where he said that after leaving Wimbledon 2024, "I saw no reason to live."
— I was upset and I was hurt that I didn't support him last year. I didn't know how complicated and confusing the situation was. I got in touch with Andrey before Indian Wells this season. I decided to take the initiative. At that moment, I was more calm for him because I knew he was getting better. I read an interview where he said that the hardest moment had passed.
Indeed, he was very supportive when I returned to the tour, but I missed the moment when I could have helped. The fact is that at the age of 27 I went through a similar situation. I had mild depression, terrible, dark thoughts. I know this condition. When it's just difficult to get up in the morning, look at the sky and smile. It's not like playing tennis at the highest level. This is a serious ordeal that many people go through.
Unfortunately, many people are embarrassed to talk about it. I was also embarrassed about it six years ago, and even more so when I was seventeen and twenty. It was as if it was not customary at that time to discuss this publicly, especially on social media. Now, on the contrary, it is encouraged. It has become the norm to talk about psychological traumas and problems. On the contrary, everyone advises not to keep it to yourself, but to try to talk it out.
— Andrey has been in the top 10 for so many years, has won many titles, and is highly respected in the tennis community. It seems that he has achieved too much to experience problems of this kind.
— When you're an athlete and you have ambitions, it's never enough for you. I respect this point of view. I'm also a perfectionist, so I can find bad moments everywhere. Even in winning tournaments, in successful performances. From a psychological point of view, this is wrong. On the professional side, it's inevitable. I always want to win. But finding a balance in the case of a black stripe and continuing to live in peace is difficult.
Especially knowing how much Andrey loves tennis. Knowing how important he is to him. Therefore, in our conversation, I wanted to convey to him that besides tennis, there is also life itself, and this is more important.
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