Andy Roddick is already heavily impressed with Mirra Andreeva’s game and the American tennis legend tipped the 17-year-old on his podcast to “become the world No. 1.”
Last week, the rising Russian star wrote tennis history by becoming the youngest WTA 1000 champion in Dubai.
En route to clinching her second WTA 1000 title and pulling off a remarkable feat, she also beat Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina in back-to-back matches.
By triumphing in Dubai, Andreeva also broke into the top-10 for the first time in her career and now sits at No. 9 in the world.
Mirra Andreeva© DDF Tennis Championships/Instagram – Fair Use
Roddick, who followed the 17-year-old’s run in the United Arab Emirates, thinks she already has an outstanding game and it will only get better.
Roddick explains what makes Andreeva such a great player already: Serves great, IQ beyond her years
“Her ability to play against people’s movement makes her shots bigger,” the 2003 US Open champion explained on the Served with Andy Roddick.
“She doesn’t have to go big to go through you. Her preparation is good enough where she can pull the ripcord and play behind the women that she’s playing against consistently. And if the rally builds she can stay in it and tee up. She has options.
“IQ beyond her years – Conchita Martinez has done an amazing job guiding the ship.
“But she serves great. I was watching her and thinking why is nobody talking about this?
“Maybe it is like it can improve things and she has 30% runway in physicality, she is going to get bigger, stronger and faster. It’s not as if it is going to go the other way.”
After becoming a WTA 1000 champion and also breaking into the top-10, Andreeva said her next goal would be making the top-5 at some point this year.
Considering how well the Russian has started her season, that goal definitely doesn’t seem to be out of reach.
Tennis World USA