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Jim Courier has noticed Mirra Andreeva doing something at Wimbledon which could cost her

Image of Mirra Andreeva playing a backhand against Emma Navarro at Wimbledon, inset of Jim Courier looking on during the 2016 Davis Cup
Credit: Getty Images/Visionhaus/Robert Prezioso
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Mirra Andreeva continues to impress at Wimbledon as she prepares for her quarterfinal match.

The Russian star kicked off her campaign with straight-set wins over Mayar Sherif, Lucia Bronzetti, and Hailey Baptiste as she advanced to the last 16.

There, Andreeva came face to face with America’s Emma Navarro, a quarterfinalist at SW19 12 months ago.

Producing another stellar display, Andreeva defeated Navarro 6-2, 6-3, to secure her place in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Mirra Andreeva celebrates at Wimbledon in 2025.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Things are looking up for the 18-year-old, although one ATP Tour legend has noticed her doing something recently that could cost her as the tournament progresses.

Jim Courier wonders if Mirra Andreeva’s lack of ‘trust’ in her forehand could cost her

Appearing as a panellist on the Tennis Channel, former world number one Jim Courier was asked whether Andreeva’s lack of confidence in her forehand could cost her a chance to win majors.

“We’re going to find out,” he said.

“She’ll clearly run around the forehand, step to the right, and hit as many backhands as she possibly can. She has a good feel on that forehand, but I find she doesn’t sometimes trust it when she accelerates it.

“I don’t know if it’s a temporary moment, if it’s a surface specific scenario, because grass is low bouncing, it’s unpredictable, so maybe she’s not as secure with that shot as the two-hander, which is like a blindfold shot, doesn’t look like she even needs to look at the ball, just centres it and rips it.”

Mirra Andreeva hits a backhand against Emma Navarro at Wimbledon
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images

The American isn’t sure whether Andreeva’s preference for the backhand may cost her as the tournament nears its end.

“We will find out, because the pressure is going to rise dramatically as we get to the business end of these Championships,” said Courier.

Andreeva will need to be at her very best if she wants to pick up her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, competing against several more experienced players.

Mirra Andreeva’s route to the Wimbledon title

She may well be the favorite for her quarterfinal tie with Belinda Bencic, but is entering uncharted territory, having never before reached the last eight of Wimbledon.

If she were to go all the way, Andreeva would establish herself as a true contender at the top of the WTA Tour.

Mirra Andreeva could break into the top three with a Wimbledon title

As things stand, Andreeva will become a top-five player for the first time when the next set of rankings are released.

Mirra Andreeva beats Hailey Baptiste to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

She could, however, make a top-three debut if she wins the title, jumping ahead of Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula.

RankNameAgeNationalityPoints
1Aryna Sabalenka27Belarusian12,070
2Coco Gauff21American7,669
3Mirra Andreeva31Russian6,733
4Jessica Pegula18American6,423
5Iga Swiatek24Polish5,243
6Qinwen Zheng22Chinese4,803
7Madison Keys30American4,374
8Amanda Anisimova23American3,627
9Jasmine Paolini29Italian3,576
10Paula Badosa27Spanish3,454
Live WTA Rankings (If Mirra Andreeva wins Wimbledon)

By far the youngest player in the top ten, Andreeva’s rise up the rankings has been remarkable, making incredible gains in 2025.

Beginning the year ranked 16th in the world, Andreeva made her top-ten breakthrough as she won back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and at Indian Wells.

Defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final, Andreeva reached a career-high ranking of sixth in the world.

Andreeva isn’t just impressive by WTA standards, as she is the highest-ranked teenager across both tours.

Highest-ranked teenagers in tennis today

As the only teenager remaining in the Wimbledon draw, it will be interesting to see if Andreeva can continue to fly the flag for the younger generation at the All England Club.

Andreeva will resume her Wimbledon campaign on Wednesday, July 9, when she takes on Bencic for a place in the semi-finals.