In Madrid, seated calmly at a high-top table in the VIP section of the Mutua Madrid Open, Mirra Andreeva faced a significant gathering of press eager for her attention. Over 20 reporters and photographers crowded around on Tuesday, hanging on her every word and subtle expression.
Just two years prior, when she introduced herself to the world here as a 15-year-old, this level of pre-tournament attention would have seemed surreal, perhaps even impossible. However, that was before Andreeva`s striking run to the Round of 16 at this WTA 1000 event, a performance that launched a career showing immense promise.
“It feels like just a week ago,” Andreeva commented. “But yes, I’m incredibly excited to be back in Madrid. I have wonderful memories here.”
She is set to turn 18 in a week, but her early achievements already distinguish Andreeva significantly. On Thursday, she secured a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Marie Bouzkova in a second-round match.
Andreeva has won two of the four WTA 1000 tournaments this season back-to-back in Dubai and Indian Wells. In these events, she defeated high-ranked opponents, including World No. 2 Iga Swiatek and World No. 7 Elena Rybakina in both, and Aryna Sabalenka in the BNP Paribas final.
How extraordinary is Andreeva`s ascent? She is currently ranked World No. 7 in the PIF WTA Rankings and is the youngest player to enter the Top 10 in 18 years. She is one of only three teenagers in the Top 100, with the next highest, Alexandra Eala, ranked at No. 72.
Typically, teenage players are still developing physically and may lack the strength and power of older competitors. Yet, Andreeva has hit more winners (398) and aces (78) than any other player in WTA 1000 events this year. The remarkable part? She is expected to become even stronger.
A particularly telling statistic: despite her youth, Andreeva holds an impressive 9-9 record against Top 10 players.
So, what did her impactful run two years ago in Madrid reveal to her about her game and future potential?
“I’m not sure,” Andreeva mused. “At that time, I didn’t fully grasp how significant reaching the Round of 16 was. But now, I reflect on it… and I can say it wasn’t too bad.”
Something Special
Her 2023 season began with tears.
Two best friends, 15-year-olds who had grown up playing tennis together, met in the Australian Open junior girls’ final. It was a tough but compelling match, won by Alina Korneeva in 3 hours and 18 minutes. Korneeva won 139 points, just one more than Andreeva.
Her first professional tournament that season was an ITF W60 event in Chiasso, Switzerland, in April, where she won all seven of her matches, including qualifiers. The following week, Andreeva won six matches in Bellinzona, Switzerland, before arriving in Madrid as a main-draw wild card, ranked No. 194.
It was her debut on the WTA Tour.
Andreeva’s first opponent was Leylah Fernandez, a Top 50 player who had reached the 2021 US Open final as a 19-year-old. Andreeva saved five out of six break points en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory, becoming only the second 15-year-old to defeat a Top 50 player at a WTA 1000 event.
“Initially, I tried to forget that match,” Fernandez said here on Wednesday. “But there’s definitely something unique about Mirra, the way she composed herself on such a big stage. It’s always challenging to play a younger player – especially when I’m often considered the youngest.
“I remember how nervous I was at 15. The way she managed those nerves and just played, not only that year but the next. It made me think, ‘Let’s keep an eye on her. She’s likely to achieve great things in the coming years.’”
Just twenty-four hours later, Andreeva overpowered No. 14-ranked Beatriz Haddad Maia with a decisive 7-6(8), 6-3 win.
“I’m a bit surprised to be in the third round, but everyone was telling me they play at the same level as me, they’re just more consistent,” Andreeva told reporters. “Their mental game is different, but the playing level is almost the same.”
Playing in Madrid on her 16th birthday, Andreeva then defeated Magda Linette 6-3, 6-3 to secure her 16th consecutive professional win and reach the Round of 16 against the reigning Australian Open champion, Aryna Sabalenka.
Andreeva, the youngest player ever to reach a WTA 1000 Round of 16, was ultimately unable to match the power of the World No. 2, who won 6-3, 6-1. Sabalenka hit 28 winners – twice as many as Andreeva.
What does she recall about that memorable debut two years ago in Madrid?
“I can say I’m proud of myself for achieving that,” Andreeva stated. “But this time, I want to go further.”
And she has. Andreeva later defeated now-No. 1 Sabalenka in three sets in the 2025 Indian Wells final.
“She is so quick to get results and improve her game,” Sabalenka said a week later in Miami. “She is very young, so I can’t predict when she will win a Grand Slam or be World No. 1 – but she is definitely going to achieve it.”
Focusing on the Now
Teenagers often spend significant time on social media. Consequently, Andreeva is well aware of the growing expectations surrounding her.
“Many people say many things, and sometimes those thoughts creep into your head, and you start to overthink,” Andreeva admitted in Madrid. “I’ve experienced that, but I have a great team around me. I share my feelings, and everyone tries to support me.”
“I believe I now know how to handle this, and of course, it makes things a bit easier for me.”
Perhaps more than any other player on the Hologic WTA Tour, Coco Gauff understands the pressure Andreeva is facing. Gauff had her own breakthrough moment six years ago, as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon.
Gauff, ranked No. 313 at the time, won three qualifying matches before drawing five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the first round. In what felt like a symbolic passing of the torch, Gauff defeated Williams, then still a Top 50 player, 6-4, 6-4. She advanced all the way to the Round of 16 before losing to the eventual champion, Simona Halep.
“I think as a kid, I had almost a sort of blind confidence,” Gauff said on Tuesday. “Naturally, beating Venus was a shock, but without disrespecting my subsequent opponents, I just felt so confident I would win against them. I felt like I was meant to, even though I probably wasn’t expected to.”
“When you’re young, you’re just swinging freely because no one expects anything from you. You don’t even expect anything from yourself. And then perhaps you realize that the gap in level isn`t as wide as it feels when you first step onto the court.”
Before the Madrid tournament began, addressing the large media presence, Andreeva was asked if she had received any particularly helpful advice for navigating her path to stardom.
“Someone told me not to think about anything else except the point you are currently playing,” Andreeva replied, without naming her advisor. “If it didn’t go your way, just focus on the next point – starting from zero. That’s how I tried to play in Dubai and Indian Wells.”
Now in Madrid, the challenge isn`t just having a breakout performance – it`s about consistently building on it.
