Mirra Andreeva is one of tennis’ brightest young stars, and her rise to the apex of the sport has been a joy to watch.
Blending a hard-hitting and all-action game with a bubbly personality, it is no surprise that this 18-year-old sensation has drawn comparisons to Coco Gauff.
After all, she will know better than most what it’s like to enjoy success from such a young age.
However, so too will Tracy Austin, who has since suggested a path for Andreeva to follow.
Mirra Andreeva handed big piece of advice
Speaking to Tennis Channel, just after Austin rated Gauff’s chances of winning Roland Garros, attention naturally turned back to Andreeva.
After all, the two had just faced one another once again, with the American extending her unbeaten run over the teenager.
However, it was not long ago that Gauff was that same teenager seeking to break through the ceiling, and Austin insisted that Andreeva could learn a thing or two from the path the 2023 US Open champion took.
So, when asked what she needed to do to improve, Austin noted: ‘It’s already what she’s doing. She seems to be really good at the process and trying to take the pressure off. I feel like Coco went through that for a while, Coco got to the fourth round of Wimbledon at just 15 years old and people were thinking she’s going to win a major soon, going to do this soon, going to hit this point. You start to put pressure on yourself.
‘I would think with Conchi [Conchita Martinez] at her side, even though she’s had so much success, it’s so smart to go with “Let’s just try to do our best every single day. Do what we can”. Control the controllables.
‘Remember a couple of years ago when she was getting mad on the court. Once in a while we’ll still see that but her mindset is so much calmer now. It seems like she has this real trust in her game which is so important.
‘I think the big picture is what Conchi keeps instilling in her, I think that’s important.’
Mirra Andreeva seeking to follow in Coco Gauff’s footsteps
If she is to continue progressing at the rate she has done thus far, the sky truly is the limit for Andreeva.
And, with how prolific the Russian has already been in 2025 with regards to collecting trophies, there’s no reason to suggest that this could be the year where she finally picks up her first Grand Slam too.
Winning both Dubai and Indian Wells saw her overcome some of the toughest that the WTA has to offer, but despite beating Iga Swiatek twice and Aryna Sabalenka, she is still yet to defeat Gauff.
It seems that she still has some progression to make before she can take the next step to hopefully become a teenage major winner like Gauff did in 2023.
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