Teen sensation Mirra Andreeva has set her sights on the ultimate goal of becoming the best player in the world, revealing earlier today (Jan. 7) that she is inspired by the paths taken by some of the greatest names in tennis history.
The 18-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, rewriting history along the way. She became the youngest player ever to win a WTA 1000 title after lifting the Dubai crown at 17 years and 299 days. She backed that achievement up with a second consecutive WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells where she produced a stunning comeback from a set down to defeat the World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash.
After claiming a win in her opening match of the 2026 campaign in Brisbane today, Andreeva pointed to legends such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams as her inspirations. She said she shares their mindset of striving to reach the very pinnacle of the sport.
“For me, I do feel like I have always wanted to be like Roger, like Serena, like Rafa, because, you know, I was looking up to them, and I still do, to be the best player in the world,” Andreeva was quoted as saying.
She was also quizzed about whether expectations of winning a Grand Slam this year could weigh heavily on her.
“I do put some pressure on myself sometimes, but now I have also learned that if I try to just give my best in every match that I play and at the same time enjoy the moment, then, you know, I just realize that I will just play and see what the life will bring to me, and I’m not gonna put so much pressure on myself thinking that, you know, I have to win a Grand Slam to be a successful player. So I kind of decided to think like that this year and see where that brings me, and then we’ll talk about that next year, I guess,” Andreeva continued.
Entering this season as a top contender at most tournaments, Andreeva said she is ready to handle the expectations, believing the pressure she faced last year has better prepared her for the challenges ahead.
“Yeah, I did feel the pressure that people were expecting me to win basically every tournament that I would play, and that was not easy, but, you know, last year I learned a lot how to deal with the pressure, how to not pay attention to what people say, and how to talk about this, and if that happens this year, I certainly know what to do with this,” Andreeva continued.
Andreeva Battles Past Gadecki To Set Up Noskova Showdown
Mirra Andreeva overcame a slow start to defeat home favorite Olivia Gadecki 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round. Her next opponent, Linda Noskova, also rallied from a set down to beat Magdalena Frech 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4.
Andreeva and Noskova have met five times on the WTA tour, with Andreeva holding a narrow 3-2 advantage. Noskova won their most recent meeting, while Andreeva dominated Noskova with a 6-3, 6-0 win in Brisbane last year. Their head-to-head record on hard courts is evenly split at 1-1.
The pair are scheduled to meet in the final match of the day on Show Court 1. The match will follow the clash between Jessica Pegula and Dayana Yastremska.
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