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Heading into the BNP Paribas Open, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva of Russia was being hailed as the future of women's tennis. She proved in two weeks at Indian Wells that she may actually be the present.
Andreeva won the women's singles title over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday in front of a jam-packed Stadium 1 court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. She shook off a choppy first set, before taking control for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.
She also won the previous tournament in Dubai and repeated her comedic acceptance Sunday where she finished by thanking herself for always believing in herself. A big personality to match the big game.
Andreeva is the youngest women's champion here since 1999 — eight years before she was born — when a 17-year-old Serena Williams beat Steffi Graf.
Even more impressive than the win on Sunday was the path to get to the final. She beat 2023 BNP Paribas Open champion Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the fourth round, and in the semifinals she beat the defending champ and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek. Swiatek had been setting records this entire tournament with how dominant she had been, right up until she faced a spunky 17-year-old.
Andreeva's win and official emergence as a top tennis talent was the biggest storyline at this year's BNP Paribas Open, which also included a surprise men's winner in 13th-seeded Jack Draper of Great Britain who defeated Holger Rune of Denmark 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday.
The tournament continued its growth, with a record 504,268 total attendance during the fortnight, despite a few weather woes and delays throughout the event. It was also announced that title sponsor BNP Paribas, an international bank headquartered in France, has renewed its commitment through 2029.
While Andreeva may be 17, she has a very grown-up game. Powerful serves, accurate groundstrokes and a high tennis IQ. She was asked the always-meta question, "What's the best part of being Mirra Andreeva?"
"I mean, it's nice to be me, I guess, maybe," she said with a sheepish smile. "For me it's nice to travel around the world with the people that I care about, with my team, to play all these great tournaments and to have fun on the court, just to enjoy my life. So I think that's what I like about being me. I will try to keep doing the same for as long as I can."
Sounds like a good plan.
Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mirra Andreeva steals the show at 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells
Continue reading...
Andreeva won the women's singles title over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday in front of a jam-packed Stadium 1 court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. She shook off a choppy first set, before taking control for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.
She also won the previous tournament in Dubai and repeated her comedic acceptance Sunday where she finished by thanking herself for always believing in herself. A big personality to match the big game.
Andreeva is the youngest women's champion here since 1999 — eight years before she was born — when a 17-year-old Serena Williams beat Steffi Graf.
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Even more impressive than the win on Sunday was the path to get to the final. She beat 2023 BNP Paribas Open champion Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the fourth round, and in the semifinals she beat the defending champ and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek. Swiatek had been setting records this entire tournament with how dominant she had been, right up until she faced a spunky 17-year-old.
Andreeva's win and official emergence as a top tennis talent was the biggest storyline at this year's BNP Paribas Open, which also included a surprise men's winner in 13th-seeded Jack Draper of Great Britain who defeated Holger Rune of Denmark 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday.
The tournament continued its growth, with a record 504,268 total attendance during the fortnight, despite a few weather woes and delays throughout the event. It was also announced that title sponsor BNP Paribas, an international bank headquartered in France, has renewed its commitment through 2029.
You must be registered for see images attach
While Andreeva may be 17, she has a very grown-up game. Powerful serves, accurate groundstrokes and a high tennis IQ. She was asked the always-meta question, "What's the best part of being Mirra Andreeva?"
"I mean, it's nice to be me, I guess, maybe," she said with a sheepish smile. "For me it's nice to travel around the world with the people that I care about, with my team, to play all these great tournaments and to have fun on the court, just to enjoy my life. So I think that's what I like about being me. I will try to keep doing the same for as long as I can."
Sounds like a good plan.
Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mirra Andreeva steals the show at 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells
Continue reading...
