Russian teen-sensation Mirra Andreeva enjoyed a sparkling Olympic debut in Paris eventually picking up the silver medal in the doubles.
A whirlwind summer for 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva is not losing any momentum, after the youngster secured a silver medal in the Olympic women’s doubles.
Partnered by Diana Shnaider, who is also enjoying the best form of her life, the crafty pair notably fought past seven-time major winners Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in the semi-finals.
The youngster burst onto the scene last summer with a magnificent run to the last 16 of Wimbledon.
Since, she has shot up the rankings, and after picking up her first WTA Tour title at the Iasi Open last month, the teenager now sits just outside the top 20.
Filled with a youthful spark and the high of a silver medal, Andreeva has already suggested she is settling in for a long time on tour.
Mirra Andreeva predicts a lengthy stay for herself on the WTA Tour
Sat beside partner Diana Schnaider at their Olympic press conference, the 17-year-old, with her silver medal draped around her neck, talked about her long future on the tour.
“I think we will try our best, both of us, I think we’ll play four or five more Olympics,” Andreeva said, prompting a small, surprised laugh coming from her partner, “Well that’s my plans anyway!
“I think we’re going to try to achieve and win more medals, but of course it’s great that the first Olympics and we have one right away. That’s something special.
“Of course, its maybe not the way we wanted to finish the day and finish this tournament, but it is what it is, and we can for sure be very proud of ourselves,” she reflected.
“I think the ‘great’ will come at the right time and maybe now it’s not really the right time for us. We’ll see – maybe the next Olympics is the time when we’re going to achieve everything so we’ll see what the future will tell.”
Nobody can knock the ambition of the teenager who has caused a real splash on the tour and already recorded a run to the semi-finals of a major tournament.
What might we expect from Mirra Andreeva on the hard courts?
With Andreeva still a fresh face on the WTA Tour, fans have not had long to really assess her game across all three surfaces.
Looking back on her junior career however shows that she has real promise to flourish on the hard courts, with a run to the final at the girl’s Australian Open singles, before her senior debut the following year saw her charge to the last 16.
Her run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros made her the youngest player to reach the fourth round of a major on all three surfaces since Anna Kournikova in 1998.
Knocked out of the 2023 US Open in the second round, with Andreeva this time set to be seeded, there’s little doubt she’ll be able to reach a later stage this time round.
Andreeva’s on-court manner has grown considerably this year too and under the guidance of her coach, former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, she looks set to continue her record-breaking form.
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