Centre Court spotlight: Mirra Andreeva gets nervous after spotting Roger Federer in the crowd

Dubai: One had Roger Federer in the crowd. The other had her toddler cheering her on. On a day full of emotion and personal milestones at Wimbledon, teenagers and mothers alike took Centre Court by storm — with Mirra Andreeva and Belinda Bencic both sealing quarter-final spots.

Russian teenager Andreeva, the current Dubai champion, reached her maiden Wimbledon quarter-final with a 6-2, 6-3 win over American 10th seed Emma Navarro, who had knocked out defending champion Barbora Krejcikova just days earlier.

The 18-year-old, playing on Centre Court for the first time, handled the pressure well — until she looked up into the stands and saw one very familiar face.

“Honestly, it’s something crazy. I was super nervous before playing on Centre Court for the first time,” Andreeva said in her post-match interview.

“I knew that if I looked there, I’d completely lose focus — and I did! At 4-1, I saw Roger and Mirka. It means a lot to me that you came and watched my match. It’s been one of my dreams to see you in real life.”

Andreeva then turned to Mirka Federer with a smile and added: “You look very pretty. I really like your outfit.”

The rising Russian star now faces Bencic in the quarter-finals.

Bencic, the 28-year-old Swiss Olympic gold medallist, defeated Russia’s world No 17 Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to book her place in the last eight — her first Wimbledon quarter-final and first at a Grand Slam since 2021.

Her biggest cheerleader? Daughter Bella, now 15 months old, who travelled with her to the All England Club.

“Honestly, it’s been really amazing. I’m really proud of myself and the whole team,” said Bencic.

“I think we did an amazing job coming back. I’m really enjoying it at the moment. It’s still kind of easy, travelling with her — I think it’ll only get harder — but it’s amazing to share the memories as a family.”

“I feel like I’m taking so many more pictures and just really enjoying it more. I’m juggling it like every mum does. So, props to the mums!”