Tennis professional player Mirra Andreeva is only 16 and she has already made a name for herself in the sport. She defeated 85th-ranked Alison Riske-Amritraj in straight sets in the first round at the French Open. The Russian player has already achieved a ranking in the top 200 and is on pace to surpass the top 100 soon.
Mirra Andreeva was born in 2007 in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. She has three sisters named Ksenia, Mayya, and Erika. Her older sister, Erika plays tennis as well. The parents of the girls encouraged and supported their daughter’s desire to become a professional tennis player. Erika, who is 18 years old and ranked 147th, is not so far behind her sister.
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The Andreeva sisters got their start in the sport at home in Siberia before going to Sochi for professional instruction. Later, they continued their training under the direction of Jean-René Lisnard and Jean-Christophe Faurel in Cannes, France. They are currently residing in Cannes, France.
The young Russian player has already started making history as she became the third-youngest qualifier on Thursday to reach the last 32 after Coco Gauff four years ago and Kim Clijsters in 1999. She won her Wimbledon debut match and also defeated Krejcikova to move into the third round. Her current ranking according to WTA is 102.
The 16-year-old has been involved in controversy after liking certain social media posts by Russian President Vladimir Putin that allegedly offended Ukrainians. Dayana Yastremska, her Ukrainian opponent, also asked the WTA for sanctions against Andreeva for hurting their feelings.
Mirra Andreeva and her rise in tennis
Andreeva, who has primarily played in clay courts now faces grass court for the first time. Without having the benefit of a wild card entry in Wimbledon this year, the teen had to prove her talent and secured a place for herself in the main draw.
At the Madrid Open this year she showcased flair and aptitude by defeating the rank-20 Beatriz Haddad Maia. Andreeva has also achieved the feat of winning 15 games in a row, which has contributed widely to her success.
She clinched her maiden win against Leylah Fernandez at the Madrid Open earlier this year. This win granted her entry to the list of youngest players in WTA 1000 history to win a main-draw match. She is the third-youngest player to do so, after only Coco Gauff and CiCi Bellis.
Andreeva also defeated a Top 50 opponent in a WTA 1000 match, following Bellis in 2015. Then, she eliminated Beatriz Haddad Maia, the 13th seed, to advance to the third round and achieve her maiden top-20 victory. She became the seventh person under the age of 16 to achieve a feat like this since 2000.
She competed against Magda Linette, who was ranked 19 at the time, in the third round on the day that she turned 16. Many believed that Andreeva would lose to a top-20 opponent, but she instead ran away with the match. Shortly after her debut, she won her second top-20 match, defeating Linette 6-3, 6-3.
Andreeva, who is only 16, is not dating anyone right now because she is single. There aren’t even any records of his prior partnerships. She doesn’t share many details about her private life on social media, giving the impression that she is a very secretive person. It seems like playing the sport she loves is currently her first priority as she keeps her attention on her professional tennis career.