Russia’s Mirra Andreeva has burst onto the main stage of tennis at the Madrid Open with a series of impressive wins.
In the first round, she knocked out former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in straight sets to become only the third player aged 15 to win a main draw match at a WTA 1000 event. She continued her stunning run by beating 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round to become the seventh-youngest player since 2000 to beat a top-20 ranked opponent before the age of 16.
Then on Saturday, to mark her 16th birthday Andreeva registered another milestone victory by defeating Australian Open semi-finalist Magda Linette. She is now the youngest player to reach the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event since the category was introduced in 2009. All three of her wins have been in straight sets.
Andreeva, who is managed by IMG Tennis, is now set to surge up the rankings with some predicting a bright future for her.
Ahead of the teenager’s upcoming showdown with Aryna Sabalenka on Monday, here are five things to know about the rising star.
Top junior
Whilst she is making her breakthrough on the Pro Tour, Andreeva is still ranked No.3 on the junior circuit and was runner-up at the Australian Open in January. She has also reached the final of two other events this season in Traralgon, Australia and Cairo, Egypt.
According to the ITF, she has an overall win-loss record of 87-20 which works out as an 81% win rate.
ITF Record Holder
Earlier this year the Russian became the first female player in history to win multiple ITF W60 events or above before the age of 16. She won her first W60 event last year in Meitar, Israel before winning another two titles this year in Switzerland. Overall, she has dropped only three sets in 13 matches played on the ITF Tour so far this season.
Sister made her Grand Slam debut last year
Andreeva’s sister Erika is three years older than her and is closing in on breaking into the world’s top 100. Erika played her first Grand Slam main draw at the 2022 US Open where she came through three rounds of qualifying before losing to Petra Kvitova. This season, she won her maiden match at a WTA 1000 event in Miami and currently holds the record for winning the longest match played after she beat Harriet Dart in Texas (three hours and 32 minutes).
Erika has also enjoyed a successful junior career where she reached the final of the 2021 French Open girl’s tournament.
Based in Cannes
Andreeva along with her sister had the opportunity to go to the Rafa Nadal Academy but instead decided to be based in the South of France where one of their coaches used to work with a current member of the world’s top 10. Their journey has seen them start to play tennis in Siberia before moving to Sochi for proper training and then to France.
Guiding Andreeva on the Tour are coaches Jean-René Lisnard and Jean-Christophe Faurel. Faurel has previously mentored Coco Gauff.
“We knew that Daniil Medvedev had practiced [in Cannes],” Andreeva told wtatennis.com. “Our agent talked to us about the academies and we had two choices to go either to a Rafa Nadal Academy or to Cannes. We came there, we tried one week, and I liked it and so we decided to work with them since the beginning of 2022.”
How she describes her game
Amid her Madrid breakthrough, Andreeva says her tennis is similar to that of world No.4 One Jabeur who is known for the use of her spin, changes of pace and drop shots during matches.
“You don’t have to play fast because I’m pretty good at keeping the fast rhythm and I can compare my game to maybe Ons Jabeur because I change the rhythm a lot, I play with topspin,” Andreeva told WTA Tennis. “I do drop shots a lot also and I change the rhythm.”
