Life is great for Mirra Andreeva at the moment as the Russian tennis star impressively captured her second WTA 1000 title in Indian Wells, which was followed by a special congratulatory message from her idol Maria Sharapova.
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This past Sunday, the 17-year-old completed her major run in the desert with a stunning 2-6 6-4 6-3 final comeback against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
By beating Sabalenka in the final and Iga Swiatek in the semifinal, the Russian teenage sensation became the first player since Serena Williams in 1999 to win a tournament after beating a world No. 1 and a world No. 2 in back-to-back matches - as if winning consecutive WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells at the age of 17 wasn't impressive enough.
And Andreeva's success didn't go unnoticed by Sharapova, whose teenage success is well-documented.
"Mirra (heart emoji) Many congratulations!! So poised. So well deserved," the Russian tennis icon wrote on X.
Sharapova was right about Andreeva
Around a year ago, the former five-time Grand Slam champion tipped the rising Russian star to "have a bright future." Since then, the 17-year-old has won three titles and is now ranked at No. 6 in the world.
"This is a tough one. I want to say Mirra Andreeva will have a phenomenal year. I followed a little bit of her matches in 23 and I think she has a strong attitude [and] she has the game to back it up. Genuinely, just like her approach and her sensibility in the game. And I think she has a very bright future ahead of her," Sharapova said in a video for the WTA last year.
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In April, Andreeva will turn 18 so she can't become a Grand Slam champion at 17 like her idol. But she is already looking like a serious contender for the French Open title and could possibly land her first Slam shortly after turning 18.
