Mirra Andreeva says what it was like to play against Coco Gauff at last year’s US Open

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Russia’s 17-year-old superstar Mirra Andreeva was defeated in straight sets by Coco Gauff on her way to the 2023 US Open title.

Since, it’s been a whirlwind year for Mirra Andreeva with the 17-year-old most recently picking up a silver medal at the Olympics.

After bursting onto the scene at Wimbledon last year, Andreeva has progressed at an astonishing rate.

Having defeated this year’s favourite Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals of the French Open, Andreeva is becoming no stranger to the latter stages of Grand Slams.

Rewinding 12 months ago however, the teenager was convincingly beaten by Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3.

With Andreeva having already managed to radically improve her game under coach Conchita Martinez, she is desperate for a rematch against the defending champion.

Mirra Andreeva reflects on her defeat to Coco Gauff 12 months on

With both players having found success at a very young age, there is a certain likeness between them.

Both harbouring robust and powerful games, the two are also insanely likeable despite their limited time on the WTA tour.

With Andreeva going strong so far this year, she divulged her experience against Gauff in quotes reported by The Express.

“I felt like I was a little kid who got beat up by a grown-up woman,” she recalls. “That was my emotion after the match.

I mean, there were a lot of moments, a lot of games where it was deuce, a lot of advantages for me as well. I had a lot of opportunities as well, but that day and that match I felt like it just wasn’t meant to be for me.

With significant success coming sense she continued: “Now, I would say if I compared myself from that day to now, I’m also a bit more grown up, a bit more, I don’t know if I can say bigger, bit more aggressive and a bit stronger as well.

“I feel the progress, I feel the difference. Actually, that would be nice if we could play against each other in this tournament, just to see, maybe, where I’ve improved. That would be exciting.”

Seeded 21st this year compared to Gauff’s seeding of three, the pair are both yet to drop a set, despite major question marks over the defending champions hard-court form.

Could we see Mirra Andreeva face Coco Gauff at this year’s US Open?

Unfortunately, Andreeva will have to put together quite the run if she is to meet Gauff in New York.

Andreeva managed to break Coco Gauff’s record in Cincinnati after the teenager clocked up a sixth WTA top 20 win against Emma Navarro.

With the Russian on the same side of the draw as Iga Swiatek, she will have to get through the world number one to even progress to the quarter-finals.

With Gauff in the bottom half, it’d take quite a chaotic turn of events for a rematch to take place between the two young stars.