Mirra Andreeva's Superstitious Journey: Chicken and Rice Rituals Fuel Australian Open Hopes

Mirra Andreeva, a 17-year-old Russian tennis player, relies on unique pre-match rituals, including eating chicken and rice with parmesan, as she competes in the Australian Open. Despite attempts to break these habits, Andreeva and her coach continue to embrace them as part of her game strategy.

Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old Russian tennis sensation, is preparing for her Australian Open matches with an unusual pre-match meal choice: chicken and rice topped with parmesan cheese. The teenager, who had an impressive 2024 season and reached the French Open semi-finals, hopes her unconventional meal routine will power her performance in Melbourne.

As the 14th seed, Andreeva recently secured a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Czech player Marie Bouzkova. She shared the intricacies of her food habits at tournaments, explaining her commitment to sticking with chicken and rice once she starts the tournament with it—a commitment her coach, Conchita Martinez, initially tried to break.

Andreeva's coach inadvertently added to the superstitions by spilling a recovery shake, turning it into a post-match ritual. Andreeva plans to continue these rituals throughout the tournament, taking on the winner of Magda Linette or Moyuka Uchijima in the second round.

(With inputs from agencies.)