Aryna Sabalenka jokes she has been “dealing” with Mirra Andreeva since she was 15 years old and warns the 17-year-old that she will be wanting revenge when they square off next time.
On Sunday, the teenage sensation prevented the Belarusian from landing her first Indian Wells title after beating the top-seeded Belarusian 2-6 6-4 6-3. Now, the Russian – who will celebrate her 18th birthday on April 29th – has two wins and four losses in matches versus the three-time Grand Slam champion.
When Sabalenka claimed a 6-3 6-1 in their first meeting at the 2023 Madrid Open, Andreeva was just 15 years old. Since then, the current world No. 1 has won more than lost their matches but the Russian’s two wins came on the big stage – in the 2024 French Open quarterfinal and this year’s Indian Wells final.
Sabalenka tips Andreeva to become a Grand Slam champ and the world No. 1
“I’ve been dealing with her since like 15, 16, 17. But already, I can’t wait for our next match and I want to take another revenge. It’s just impressive to see her success, honestly, and yeah, she definitely can be a great player,” the 26-year-old Belarusian said at the Miami Open in a light-hearted manner.
At 17, Andreeva – who also won Dubai last month – is a two-time WTA 1000 champion and ranked at No. 6 in the world. The next step is capturing a Grand Slam and breaking into the top-5.
“She definitely improved in her game as the result shows… I cannot predict when she’s going to be a Grand Slam winner or world No 1, but she’s definitely going to be one,” Sabalenka predicted.
Last week, coach Conchita Martinez revealed that she is constantly telling Andreeva to remain with both feet on the ground and that rushing her first Grand Slam win would be a mistake.
Tennis World USA