Mirra Andreeva revealed that her habit of thanking herself after wins began as a joke inspired by Snoop Dogg. The 19-year-old advanced to the French Open semifinals on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory.
Andreeva defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 in 56 minutes to reach her second career Grand Slam semifinal. She is the world number eight and has recorded 20 clay-court wins this season. The Russian player explained that she first heard the self-thank-you line when Snoop Dogg accepted a 2018 Hollywood Walk of Fame star. She initially copied the phrase for laughs during her 2024 Iasi Open title speech but later embraced its meaning. At first when I said this speech, I just saw Snoop Dogg say it on, I don’t know, wherever, when he was receiving an award, Andreeva told reporters at Roland Garros. After, I kind of realized that it’s actually true. We also have to thank ourselves for the work that we do on the court. Andreeva will next face Marta Kostyuk in the semifinals. She reached her first major semifinal in 2024 at the same tournament.