Mirra Andreeva – The 16-year-old Russian tennis player who is just like a young Sharapova
Her name is Mirra Andreeva, she is Russian and has become a world sensation at the age of 16. Andreeva is considered by many to be a tennis prodigy and the future of Russian female tennis.
She is still developing as an athlete but she is showing great progress for her age. The young Russian tennis player left Wimbledon with an 8,000 euro fine for throwing her racket on the ground twice after losing to the American Madison Keys. Nevertheless, she still played better than expected.
Two "bad decisions" let her game slip away, losing composure at times. Being such a young athlete on a big stage can push one over the limit.
A defeat that ended with the young Mirra Andreeva in tears and leaving Wimbledon with a fine with many zeros.
However, Mirra Andreeva is not expected to cry after her Wimbledon appearance. For her, things are looking rosy in the world of tennis.
And being Russian hasn't made things easy for her in recent months. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused repercussions for Russian athletes in Europe. This year, the Wimbledon tournament considered boycotting Russian athletes.
Despite the discontent of many British fans at Wimbledon, the Russian federation counted on its representative, Mirra Andreeva, a display of great talent.
Mirra Andreeva became the second youngest person after Maria Sharapova to reach the final group of 16 at Wimbledon.
The player was living the dream until she lost the final tiebreak of the second set at Wimbledon to American Madison Keys, who went on to win the match in the final set 6-2, destroying Andreeva.
Despite the complicated wartime situation in Russia, Andreeva said her performance at the championships was followed with great enthusiasm by her friends and family back home.
According to Sky Sports, Andreeva said: "They were watching the game, they had invited around 50 people. I got a lot of support and messages of encouragement from my family.
“I also felt a lot of support from my hometown Krasnoyarsk. There were a lot of people who supported me,” Mirra Andreeva explained.
The Russian teenager was living her Wimbledon dream after beating world No. 22 Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5 to become a top 16 player in the tournament.
Andreeva's sensational victory after 1 hour and 35 minutes of play against her Russian compatriot was a great display of tennis!
Her road to Wimbledon came as no surprise to tennis pundits – Mirra Andreeva has been revolutionizing the courts since turning pro in 2022.
The 16-year-old has won six English ITF titles from the International Tennis Federation, including two ITF titles from Anatalya in Turkey in April 2022. Her current singles stats are 61 wins and 12 losses.
Photo: Instagram @_mirraandreeva_
Despite her success in the tennis world and the political discourse surrounding her as a Russian athlete, Andreeva insists that she is an ordinary teenager.
Speaking to the BBC, Mirra Andreeva explained that she is an ordinary 16-year-old girl. "I do the same normal things that a girl my age does. I like watching series. And I also study… I have no other choice."
"When I have free time, sometimes I prefer to be alone, it depends on how I feel, but to be honest, most of the time I spend watching Netflix," Andreeva told the BBC.
She displayed exceptional maturity on the pitch, however, her youth is undeniable and it showed in some tantrums she had throughout the match.
In particular, the one that led her to be fined 8,000 euros at Wimbledon for bad sportsmanship after her defeat.
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