MADRID — Sitting calmly behind a high-top table in the VIP area at the Mutua Madrid Open, Mirra Andreeva surveyed the large number of reporters eager for her attention. Over 20 journalists and photographers were vying for position on Tuesday, hanging onto her words and every subtle expression.
Two years ago, when she burst onto the world stage as a 15-year-old here, this level of pre-tournament interest would have felt dreamlike, perhaps even impossible. But that was before Andreeva`s remarkable run to the Round of 16 at this WTA 1000 event, before she launched a career that shows immense promise.
“It feels like literally just a week ago,” Andreeva commented. “But, yeah, I’m extremely excited to return to Madrid. I have fantastic memories.”
She will celebrate her 18th birthday in a week, but her early achievements already mark Andreeva as a truly unique talent. On Thursday, she is scheduled to face Marie Bouzkova, who won her second-round match against Renata Zarazua in three sets.
Andreeva secured two of the season’s four WTA 1000 titles – winning back-to-back events in Dubai and Indian Wells. In *both* tournaments, she defeated World No. 2 Iga Swiatek and World No. 7 Elena Rybakina, and also overcame Sabalenka in the BNP Paribas final.
How extraordinary is Andreeva’s ascent? She is currently ranked 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 not yet fully developed physically and lack the strength and power of their more experienced counterparts. And yet, Andreeva leads all players in this year’s WTA 1000 tournaments with 398 winners and 78 aces. The astonishing part? She is almost certainly going to get even stronger.
One striking statistic that highlights her talent: Despite her tender age, Andreeva holds a solid 9-9 record against players ranked in the Top 10.
So, what did that intense run two years ago in Madrid teach her about the state of her game and her prospects for the future?
“I don’t know,” Andreeva paused, thinking. “At that time, I didn’t really grasp that I had reached the Round of 16, how significant it was and all that. But now, of course, I reflect on it… it’s not too bad, I can say.”
Something Special
In 2023, her year began with tears.
Best friends, both 15 years old and having grown up competing together, met in the final of the Australian Open junior girls’ tournament. It was a demanding yet beautiful match, won by Alina Korneeva after 3 hours and 18 minutes. Korneeva won 139 points, just one more than Andreeva.
Her first professional event of that season came in April – an ITF W60 in Chiasso, Switzerland – where she won all seven of her matches, including the qualifying rounds. The following week, Andreeva won all six matches in Bellinzona, Switzerland, before arriving in Madrid as a main-draw wild card, ranked No. 194.
This was to be her first tournament at the WTA Tour level.
Andreeva’s first-round opponent was Leylah Fernandez, a player ranked in the Top 50, who reached the 2021 US Open final in her first week as a 19-year-old. Andreeva won 6-3, 6-4, saving five out of six break points, becoming only the second 15-year-old to defeat a Top 50 player in a WTA 1000 event.
“At the time, I tried to forget that match,” Fernandez recalled recently. “But there is definitely something unique about Mirra, the way she managed to stay composed on such a big stage. It’s never easy playing a younger player – especially when I was always considered the youngest one.”
“I remember how nervous I was when I was 15. And the way she handled those nerves and just played, not only that year but the next. It made me think, ‘We need to keep an eye on her. She’s likely going to achieve great things in the coming years.’”
Just twenty-four hours later, Andreeva impressively defeated No. 14-ranked Beatriz Haddad Maia with a powerful 7-6(8), 6-3 victory.
“I’m a bit surprised to be in the third round, but also everyone was telling me they are playing at a similar level to me; they are 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 overcame Magda Linette 6-3, 6-3 to record 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 no match for the World No. 2, whose power proved decisive in a 6-3, 6-1 result. Sabalenka hit 28 winners – twice as many as Andreeva.
What does she remember about that spectacular debut two years ago in Madrid?
“I can say that I’m proud of myself for doing that,” Andreeva stated. “But this time, I want to aim for more.”
And she has indeed achieved more. Andreeva would later turn the tables, winning the 2025 Indian Wells final against now-No. 1 Sabalenka in three sets.
“She achieves results and improves her game so quickly,” Sabalenka commented a week later in Miami. “She is so young, so I cannot predict exactly when she is going to win a Grand Slam or become World No. 1 – but she is definitely going to be one.”
Focusing on the Present
Teenagers typically spend a lot of time and energy on social media. As a result, Andreeva is well aware of the growing expectations surrounding her.
“A lot of people say many things, and sometimes thoughts start creeping into your head, and you might begin to overthink,” Andreeva explained in Madrid. “I’ve experienced that, and I have a great team supporting me. I also share my feelings, and everyone tries to help me.”
“I believe that now I understand how to deal with this, and naturally, it makes things a little easier for me.”
Perhaps more than any other player on the Hologic WTA Tour, Coco Gauff understands the weight of expectation Andreeva carries. Gauff had her own breakthrough moment six years ago, also as a 15-year-old, at Wimbledon.
Gauff, ranked No. 313 at the time, won three qualifying matches and was drawn against five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the first round. In what felt like a symbolic passing of the torch, Gauff defeated the then Top 50 ranked Williams 6-4, 6-4. She advanced all the way to the Round of 16 before being defeated by the eventual champion, Simona Halep.
“I think as a kid I had almost like a fearless confidence,” Gauff said on Tuesday. “Obviously, beating Venus was a shock, but without intending to disrespect my opponents afterward, I just felt so confident I was going to win against them. I felt like I was supposed to, even though realistically I probably wasn’t.”
“When you’re young, you just swing freely because nobody expects you to achieve anything. You don’t even expect yourself to achieve anything. And then perhaps you realize that the level isn’t as far away as it feels when you first step onto the court.”
Before the Madrid tournament began, addressing the numerous media members, Andreeva was asked if she had received any particularly valuable advice to help her navigate the path to stardom.
“Someone advised me to focus only on the point that you’re playing,” Andreeva stated, choosing not to reveal the source. “If a point didn’t go your way, just reset and focus on the next point – start from zero. That’s how I tried to play in Dubai and Indian Wells.”
Now in Madrid, the focus isn`t just on a breakthrough performance – it`s about building on her past successes and competing for the title.
