Imagine being only 17 years old and taking down the World number 2 at her happy hunting ground. Only Mirra Andreeva can relate. The young Russian battled past two-time champion Iga Swiatek at Indian Wells, clinching a gritty win to book her spot in the final. She is now the youngest woman to reach the Indian Wells final since Kim Clijsters in 2001. Consequently, she’s riding an 11-match win streak—only Maria Sharapova and Nicole Vaidisova have won 10+ consecutive matches before turning 21 this century. Impressive, right? So, apart from her coach’s guidance, what’s one of the things fueling Andreeva’s incredible run? Her high-school-style notebook.

During the teenager’s semi-final match against Swiatek, the cameras caught Andreeva flipping through its pages during changeovers. The breezy conditions at Indian Wells even gave a sneak peek— there were names of different opponents filling the pages. She had previously perused the pages during the Dubai Tennis Championships and had later won the battle against Clara Tauson to clinch her first WTA 1000 trophy. But what exactly is inside?

Speaking to the Russian media outlet Tennis BOL’SHE after her win, the Russian tennis star explained, “I’ve been doing it for quite a while, but I wasn’t doing it the right way. I wrote something down whenever I felt like it. Any kind of stuff. ‘Play to her backhand, you’re doing great, everything will be amazing.’ I could write 3 sentences, then a year later, remember I have this notebook and add something else. Now I’m doing it the right way, I’m more serious about it.”

Further elaborating, she said, “Before every match, I write down things that I know will help me when it comes to tennis, tactics, and mentality. So when I feel like I need a reminder, like I need to read something that would encourage me.. I felt like that during the final, so I opened the notebook, read what I’d written for myself and tried to help myself. And it kinda worked.” The 17-year-old is not the only one with this habit.

Her semi-final opponent, Iga Swiatek, has also been spotted carrying a ‘Roland Garros’ notebook. Back in May 2024, the Pole revealed, “I just write my tactics there and also some keywords that I want to remember when I sometimes struggle.”

Well, looks like the notebook method really works! Next up for Andreeva is the biggest test yet. She will face World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final at Indian Wells.

When Aryna Sabalenka “almost killed” Mirra Andreeva

Mirra Andreeva’s win streak now stands at 11, tying Swiatek and Madison Keys for the most victories this season (18). She is the youngest player to win 11 straight matches at the WTA 1000 level. The Russian teenager also joins an exclusive group as just the fifth player in tournament history to reach the final before turning 18. Andreeva’s path to the finals has been nothing short of impressive. She defeated Varvara Gracheva, No. 22 seed Clara Tauson, No. 7 seed Elena Rybakina, No. 23 seed Elina Svitolina, and reigning champion Swiatek—all in one week.

On the other side, Aryna Sabalenka arrived in Indian Wells after a rough stretch, losing three of her last four matches. But the top seed has dominated her draw without dropping a single set. She took down McCartney Kessler, Lucia Bronzetti, Sonay Kartal, No. 24 seed Liudmila Samsonova, and got revenge on Madison Keys for the Australian Open, dropping just one game against the American.

The Belarusian tennis star holds a commanding lead over Andreeva, winning four of their five past encounters. This will be their third meeting of the season. The Belarusian easily dispatched the teenager in Brisbane and crushed her again at the Australian Open. The 17-year-old tennis sensation is well aware of the challenge ahead.

“Yeah, the matches that we played this year didn’t really go my way. I can say she almost killed me, especially in Melbourne. I’m gonna try to take a revenge, because I still have nothing to lose, and I feel like the match is going to be probably entertaining. There is going to be a lot of winners, a lot of great points,” she said.

One more win, and Mirra Andreeva would make history once again. But can she solve the Sabalenka puzzle this time?