Mirra Andreeva is gradually becoming a household name in women's tennis, and her countrywoman Maria Sharapova reckons she has a bright future ahead of her.
Andreeva enjoyed a stunning debut at the Madrid Open last year, where she made her first appearance at the WTA 1000 thanks to an unexpected wild card from the tournament.
She repaid the organizers by securing three scalps against seasoned campaigners like Leylah Fernandez, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Magda Linette to reach the fourth-round stage. There, she lost to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Andreeva's story was not just a flash in the pan because she qualified for her first Grand Slam senior main draw at Roland Garros and took a set from World No. 3 Coco Gauff in the third round, where she exited the tournament.
The young Russian went a round better at Wimbledon, reaching the second week of a major for the first time. After qualifying for the tournament, she scored her biggest career win in the second round by beating 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova (via retirement).
Andreeva finished the 2023 season with a Top 60 year-end ranking and was the youngest player in the Top 100 of the WTA rankings at the time. Her eye-catching performances and fast rise have earned the attention of former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova.
The retired five-time Grand Slam champion recently told WTA on its official Instagram handle that Andreeva will enjoy a breakout season in 2024.
Without putting so much weight on her shoulders, Sharapova did not specifically mention if Andreeva would potentially win one of the big titles but tipped her to have a bright future.
"This is a tough one. I'm gonna say Mirra Andreeva will have a phenomenal year. I followed a little of her matches in 2023, and I think she has a strong attitude, and she has the game to back it up and genuinely, just like her approach and, you know, her sensibility in the game. And I think she has a bright future ahead of her."
Andreeva celebrated her 17th birthday at this year's Madrid Open, where she continued to exceed expectations by reaching her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal, earning a shock Top 10 win over Marketa Vondrousova. However, her run came to a halt in the last eight against Sabalenka yet again.
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