"Really difficult to have a friend" - Mirra Andreeva's rival Alina Korneeva calls tennis a "snake sport" as she discusses relationship with compatriot

 Up-and-coming tennis player Alina Korneeva made an honest admission about her relationship with compatriot Mirra Andreeva.

There has been a buzz around 17-year-old Russian tennis player Andreeva and 16-year-old Korneeva ever since they paired up in girls’ doubles at the 2023 Australian Open and went up against each other in the singles final.

Korneeva came out on top in the singles summit clash to lift her maiden junior Grand Slam title. She subsequently reached No. 1 in the ITF junior world rankings, and also clinched her second girls’ Major at the 2023 French Open.

Alina Korneeva spoke about her relationship with Mirra Andreeva, seemingly denying any friendship between the two.

During their 2023 Australian Open campaign, Andreeva had reportedly called Korneeva her “best friend.” The latter had reciprocated the acknowledgment by assuring her they would be having “a lot of good matches” in the future.

But in the aforementioned interview, Korneeva called tennis a “snake sport,” seemingly referring to its highly competitive nature. The Russian further suggested that she focuses on herself rather than on any on-tour friendships.