Mirra Andreeva’s triumph in the Indian Wells was anything, but smooth sailing. The Russian prodigy was a set down against the World Number 1 Aryna Sabalenka who was on a roll, but the 17-year-old her nerve and turned the tables in an amazing display of resilience. What motivates Andreeva ahead of big matches like these? “Well, when I want to motivate or inspire myself, I’m watching some of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and of course, my idol since I was very, very young was Roger Federer,” she once said. And guess what? She has now got a shoutout from one of these legends after achieving an incredible milestone in her career.

With her win against Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva became the third youngest player after Martina Hingis (1998) and Serena Williams (1999) to lift the trophy at Indian Wells. And, while highlighting her incredible comeback in this epic final, she credited a speech from NBA superstar LeBron James that she watched on the eve of the match.

“He was saying that even if you don’t play your 100%, or even if you don’t feel like you’re there 100% physically, I’m going to choose to be 100% mentally. He said that that’s what makes us champions, so I kind of tried to do the same. It didn’t really work in the beginning, but with some time, in the end, I managed to overcome that, really tried to go for my shots, and act like one of the legends,” Andreeva recalled.

When LeBron came to know about this, he reposted the clip of Andreeva’s interview on her IG story with a special message. “Mirra, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Happy to have helped but honestly YOU did THAT!! All your hard work, drive, and dedication towards your craft! KEEP GOING! #striveforgreatness,” the Lakers legend wrote.

Andreeva’s happiness knew no bounds as she saw LeBron respond. It didn’t take her long to take a screenshot of that IG story. In an IG reel posted by the Tennis Channel, Andreeva revealed, “Yeah, of course, I saw him reposting my photo in his IG stories and you know I immediately took a screenshot and I sent it to everyone. So you know it felt amazing and it means so much to me. So you know it just means a lot that he knows that I exist. So you know of course it’s amazing for me.“

LeBron James is an inspiration to many young athletes. Just like Andreeva. Even America’s Coco Gauff is a huge fan of the NBA star. And guess what? EvenGauff, got a shoutout from James when she became the youngest American US Open winner since Serena Williams in 2023. So, LBJ never misses a chance to inspire these youngsters.

Even at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she beat Clara Tauson to win her first WTA 1000 title, Andreeva revealed how James’ incredible mentality motivated her for that big final. “I’ve been listening to a lot of LeBron James interviews & he said that It’s easy to be confident & play good when everything goes your way, but what makes you a champion is when you’re giving your best when you don’t feel great. So that’s what I tried to do today,” she said after the match.

Things definitely didn’t look good for Andreeva in the initial stages of the match against Sabalenka, but she left no stone unturned in her bid to bounce back. Explaining her valiant efforts in the match, she said she had to “run like a rabbit.” But hey, Given the result at the end, it was all worth it. Apart from LeBron though, who else congratulated Andreeva on her Indian Wells success?

Mirra Andreeva gets a shoutout from her childhood idol Maria Sharapova after her incredible IW triumph

Mirra Andreeva shattered records in the Indian Wells. She became the youngest WTA player to reach the semifinal there since her idol Maria Sharapova in 2005. But it wasn’t Sharapova who was in her mind while she was playing the quarterfinal, she was actually thinking about the Swiss maestro Roger Federer.

After her victory against Elina Svitolina in the QF, Andreeva said, “When I was returning, I was trying to remember Roger Federer in my mind and go for my shots. That’s how I deal with the pressure points.” In 2024, when Andreeva was asked on IG who was her favorite player, she was quick to respond with a clear answer, “Roger Federer has always been number 1.”

But Sharapova has never shied away from heaping praise on Andreeva. Talking about the young prodigy last year, she said, “I think [Andreeva] has a strong attitude. She has the game to back it up, and genuinely I just like her approach and her sensibility in the game. I think she has a bright future ahead of her.“

After Andreeva’s win at Indian Wells, Sharapova came up with a quick post on X, saying, “Mirra 💕 Many congratulations!! So poised. So well deserved. 🏆.”

Even American legend, Andy Roddick highlighted how Andreeva’s game reminds him of someone like Martina Hingis and Kim Clijsters. Not everyone gets such acknowledgement from these legends of the sport and let’s not forget Andreeva is just 17! She is a special, special talent.

Next up for her is the Miami Open. Do you think she can excel in that tournament and clinch her third WTA 1000 title in a row?