One of the highlights — perhaps the highlight? — of Mirra Andreeva’s offseason was getting a dog, Rassy.
It had been a long time coming, as the 18-year-old had been promised a dog by her mom if she reached the Top 20 of the PIF WTA Rankings. Andreeva broke into the Top 20 way back in October of 2024, but it was more than a year later until she got the adorable pup.
Now in her first season as a dog mom, it’s been tough leaving the little one at home as she kicks off her WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz campaign in Australia.
“It’s pretty stressful,” the World No. 8 said. “I haven’t seen her for two-and-a-half weeks now, since I’ve been in Australia, so it’s pretty tough. She’s a new member of the family. Me and my mom are here in Australia, and now she’s with my sister and my dad, so at least she’s with another part of the family.
“I miss her a lot, and I just wish that she could travel with me to all the tournaments. But it’s life, so I just have to wait three more weeks, hopefully, and then I’m going to see her, so it’s OK.”
Though Rassy didn’t make the trip Down Under, Andreeva has been planning her schedule, and is hoping she will make her season debut during the Middle East Swing, specifically Dubai. And then from there, she’d like Rassy to be a constant travel companion on the road.
Andreeva also provided some context on Rassy’s name, and how it came to be. The initial plan was for Rassy to be named Blair, in honor of Leighton Meester’s character on Gilmore Girls. But when Andreeva met the dog, she decided that name wasn’t quite right. Undecided, her parents informed her of an old movie about a super intelligent dog who was obedient and loving. The dog’s name in the film was Rassy, and they recommended that. Struggling to come up with any better ideas, Andreeva agreed.
“They were like, ‘Oh, she’s so smart, she’s so intelligent, we’ve got to name her that,'” the former French Open semifinalist said. “It is what it is. My parents chose the name.”
Andreeva said training Rassy wasn’t easy, as they got her when she was a few months old and she had already developed some habits. Asked if she’s going to add a second dog to the family, the Indian Wells champion squashed that idea — at least for now.
“We’ll see, if I win a Slam or I become No. 1,” she said. “Time will tell. But for now we are just sticking to one puppy, for sure. One is enough.”
Andreeva has taken three of her first four matches this season, and will play Maya Joint on Thursday for a spot in the Adelaide semifinals.
