Dozens of names may have appeared in the WTA season-opening social media videos.
Who will reach her first major final in 2025? Who will make her top 10 debut? Who will win her first 1000 level tournament?
However, there was one name that players featured throughout the clip said over and over again: Mirra Andreeva.
Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur has given her name multiple times. “It’s all Mira,” she said.
Even the 17-year-old Andreeva was forced to buy for her own hype: “I want to say myself,” she said with a smile. “I’m going to do everything possible for that.”
About seven weeks later, Andreeva did good things with her bold predictions. She won the trophy in Dubai and became the youngest player to win a 1000-level title. She then fell into the top 10 and reached her career high of No. 9.
And the momentum of Russian teenagers is not slowing down yet. On Tuesday, Andreva reached the quarterfinals at the Indian Wells’ 1000-level BNP Paribas Open since 2009, winning 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rivakina 6-2 in just over an hour.
“This is exactly where I wanted to be, but I didn’t think that would happen anytime soon,” Andreva told ESPN last week from the Indian Wells player’s lounge. “I played here last year and lost in the first round, and after suffering from health issues and having to retire from Miami, I didn’t think I would have a year from when I was able to win the biggest title of my career…
“When I was having a press conference (after winning), they said I was already in the top 10, I was like, ‘Really?’ That was the goal of the year, but I didn’t think I’d get to that until October or November, the end of the year, but it was February and I’m already in the top 10.
Andreva said that since her victory in Dubai, questions about her new goals are endless, but that’s not new. Nor does she have any praise or bold beliefs about her future. Andreeva showed that she could compete with the best in the world in one of her first WTA events.
Andreva, 15, who received a wild card at the 1000-level Madrid Open in 2023, surprised the tennis world, surprised her fourth victory over Leila Fernandez, Beatriz Hadad Maia and Magdalinet, claiming the distinction “as of a young” assertion. Behind her fearless on-court performance and her equally engaging television interview, Andreva officially introduced herself to the world of tennis. Comparisons with other young phenoms, including Coco Gauff, were immediate.
And she soon proved that Madrid’s run reached the third round at the French Open (losing to final finalist Gauff in three sets), and that Gauff is the youngest player since appearing in the four rounds at Wimbledon. By the end of the season, she had placed it in the top 50. Expectations were high and the spotlight was brighter, but Andreva wasn’t in the flaws.
“Of course, it’s good for people to talk about you. Of course, it’s not a good thing when they say things that aren’t really good, but that’s what it is,” Andreeva said. “You’ll get some good and some bad at the same time. So you need to know that and it will happen whether you want it or not.”
Andreeva took it to another level in 2024, winning his first major semi-final at The French Open, his first WTA title at the IASI Open in July and the Olympic Silver Medal in Doubles alongside Diana Shnaider as a neutral athlete. She was ranked 16th by the end of the year.
She began working with former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez last season. The two made plans during the preseason of how Andreeva will continue her surge in 2025 and reach the top 10. Tall orders where so many talented women compete for titles and ranking points each week.
But Andreva wasted no time. In her first Tournament of the Year in Brisbane, she reached the semi-finals with singles, winning the doubles title with Schneider. It was his fourth appearance at the Australian Open, with semi-final doubles being performed in both Melbourne and Qatar.
In Dubai, she and Schneider accidentally missed the sign-in deadline, so they played a single with her, and Andreva put together her most memorable run. She defeated Markeda Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek in 32 rounds in 32 rounds, and Iga Swiatek in the semifinals to three major champions in the final. With the line title, she escaped a challenging opening set, securing a victory over 7-6 (1), 6-1, Clara Towson.
“It was all adrenaline at first, but then I felt a bit like I was in euphoria. “But then I realized I had won a weird tournament and just cherished the moment with the team.”
Andreva then gave a review for screaming at herself in her victory speech in court. “In the end, I want to never stop and thank you for always believing in me,” she told the crowd.
I thank myself how far you have come#ddfttennis pic.twitter.com/lwe2quq08x
-WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2025
The team, including Martinez, then went out for dinner to celebrate. Andreeva and Martinez talked about everything from Andreeva’s feelings during the match to how nervous (but didn’t want to show) they were pride in her younger students. Andreva then returned to work. She knew Dubai was a milestone achievement, but she didn’t want it to be too big.
“When I was a kid, whenever I traveled with my parents, every time I win a tournament, I can celebrate and drink soda by going out for dinner,” Andreva said. “At that time, and now, I know I can celebrate for a day or maybe two days. Then I have to go back to practice and prepare for the next tournament. So, we all love tennis (there are new opportunities to win the tournament, or win the tournament, next week, to win the tournament.”
After winning the tournament’s 2023 champion at Rivakina, Andreva won the final nine matches, 16-3 in the season so far. She was impressed by many of her friends along the way.
“It’s incredible what she can do in such a young age,” Jessica Pegra, the world’s fourth largest, said last week. “I think she’s going to win a lot of tournaments and lots of matches over the next 10 years… She’s going to be pretty tall, but it’s going to work really well. I think she’s really providing a really good service to people of such a younger age. Her court sense, her competitive ability, a lot of things are really strong and she’s only getting better already.”
Andreva, who will turn 18 in April, will face Ukraine’s No. 23 seed Erina Svitrina on Thursday, giving her the opportunity to reach her first semi-final at Indian Wells. In Andreeva’s case, it becomes a perfect circle moment as Svitolina was one of the first WTA players she saw firsthand in person in Andreeva’s 16 matches against Simona Halep in the US Open. This experience changed everything about Andreva.
Appropriately 🥲 Going to Maddie!!!
-CocoGauff (@cocogue) January 25th, 2025
We love to see it!!!! Worth all ways and as much as possible 🫶🏼♥§https://t.co/0qokfoja79
– Jesse Pegula (@jpegura) January 25th, 2025
“I was watching their games and they said, ‘Yes, I’m going to play here someday,'” she told reporters Tuesday. “(I thought) ‘Okay, I don’t know who I am, but I’m going to play at this stadium.’ And I think they played – what is it?
It will be the first meeting between Subitrina and Andreva. Andreva was asked about it on Tuesday as Svitrina refused to shake hands with Russian players since the Ukrainian invasion three years ago. “Yeah, of course, that’s not easy, but you know, I might have played four or five games with Ukrainian players,” she said. “And I try not to think about it. I’m focusing on my game, doing my routine and trying to prepare myself that it wouldn’t be easy.”
Calling Svitolina a “fighter,” Andreva said he would trust Martinez to prepare him perfectly for the match and prepare the “small details” needed to win. After finishing the game on Tuesday evening, Andreva recovered on Wednesday and was happy to spend some time relaxing at the hotel.
She said she hoped that in addition to doing her studies before the tournament began, she would have time to go to a nearby outlet store. She’s been away for a few months since completing her high school coursework online, but she must first pass the exam in the remaining four classes (math, geography, then two “easiest Russian and English). She said she was a little worried about it, but was excited to be almost finished.
Her next goal on the tennis court? To reach the top five, however Andreva said it was mainly because it was the first she could think of. If she wins the Indian Wells, she will probably be right outside of it, and whether she wins the title or not, it will be an impressive distance in the coming months. Beyond that, she’s not sure, but she’s excited to understand it.
“Yeah, God, I wasn’t actually thinking about (nothing in the past this season),” she said. “I think every tennis player wants to win as many tournaments as possible, get as many slams and get first place. But I want to be remembered as a great tennis player, as someone who always fights and never gives up.
“I’m just now (take it) now a week at a time.”
