Teenage Phenom Andreeva Delivers Iconic 'Thank Me' Speech After Dubai Triumph
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Mirra Andreeva amazed everyone with her tennis at the 2025 Dubai Championships, but also with her speech afterward.
Andreeva became the youngest WTA 1000 champion in the history of the competition. The current format was introduced back in 2009, and since then, there hasn't been a younger winner than her.
The 17-year-old player didn't have any issues against three Grand Slam champions on her way to the final. She beat Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek, and also Elena Rybakina, becoming the first player to beat three major winners at one event in over two decades.
There are many lines in the history books that she managed to rewrite with her incredible win, but Andreeva didn't amaze only with her tennis. The teenager has a truly unique personality, which she showed in the United Arab Emirates.
She revealed that the key to beating Swiatek and Rybakina was not thinking, which might be counterintuitive to some, but it worked for the teenager.
After her final win over Clara Tauson, the 17-year-old Russian also delivered an iconic speech. Most of the time, tennis players thank everyone who helped them after winning a title.
This includes team members, family members, but also friends, and staff present at the venue. But Andreeva chose a unique approach. She didn't forget to thank one person that many often forget to thank - herself.
"I would like to thank me. I know what I have been dealing with, and I just want to thank me for always believing in me. I want to thank me for never quitting and always dealing with the pressure. Today was not easy, but I chose to be there 100 percent, so I thank myself for that."
Andreeva thanked herself for being able to deal with all the pressure and believing in herself. It's not something she's done the first time. After her win in Iasi last year, the teenager thanked herself as well.
During her post-match press conference, Andreeva also talked about her performance. She was the losing player for almost the entirety of the first set. That's why, after winning the set, she gained a lot of confidence.
"When I managed to win the first set, I felt like, 'Well, OK, this is, I think, one of the first times when I actually lead in the score. That gave me a bit of confidence. I missed some shots that I usually don't miss. [But] if something doesn't go your way, OK, fine, you forget about it, play one point at a time."
Andreeva also revealed that listening to the interviews of the legendary NBA player, LeBron James, helped her with confidence.
"I've been listening to a lot of LeBron James interviews. What he said is it's easy to be confident and to play good when everything goes your way. What makes you a champion is when you're giving your best when you don't feel great. That's what I tried to do today."
She will now try to repeat her success also at the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open, which will be her next two events.
