At just 17, Mirra Andreeva has cemented her potential as the youngest WTA 1000 finalist since the format’s inception in 2009. However, her journey in the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships wasn’t easy to start with. Defeating top players like Elena Rybakina in the semifinals and Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals, she steadily made her way to the summit clash and is now one step away from clinching her first WTA 1000 title. Across the net, Andreva’s 22-year-old opponent Clara Tauson is a force in her own right. Tauson, a finalist in the ASB Classic and a semifinalist in the Qatar Open is fast emerging as one of the world’s finest young players. But who out of these two young stars is richer?

Andreeva’s performance against Rybakina in the semifinals proved her potential when she won five straight games in the final set despite trailing 3-1 to start with. She is also the third teenager after Iga Swiatek (2021 Italian Open) and Coco Gauff (2023 Cincinnati Open) to reach a WTA 1000 final since 2009. Andreeva’s brilliance stood out right through her run in this tournament as she became the youngest player to defeat three GS champions in a single tournament since Maria Sharapova in the 2004 WTA Finals LA.

Andreeva’s brilliance in the sport has brought her total prize money of $3,202,867, among which $501, 920 she has won this season with her participation in four tournaments earlier (Brisbane International-semifinalist, Adelaide International-exited at R32, Australian Open- 4th Round, Qatar Open- R32). Apart from the prize money that she earns from these tournaments, the Russian also has a steady income from her Nike and Wilson sponsorship.

Andreeva has witnessed a consistent growth in her earnings. The Russian turned pro in 2022 and earned $25,811 that year. It increased in 2023 to $750,477. In 2024, she got it up to $1,924,659.

Her opponent Clara Tauson, on the other side, isn’t far behind. Tauson turned pro in 2020 and started with a significant earning of $139,270. It rose to $433,408 in 2021. And then next year, Tauson earned a whopping $507,606, marking her steady growth in the sport. Although injury kept her off the court mostly in 2023, she still received $359,016 from her participation in tournaments. While her earnings last year stood at $814,037, she has earned $302,299 this season so far.

Both these players will receive a significant amount from the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships as well. Apart from 100o ranking points, the winner will take home $597,000 prize money, a 14% increase from the last year. Additionally, the runner-up will earn $351,801, another 14.1% hike from last year.

Mirra Andreeva and Clara Tauson’s battle ignites excitement as it is their first clash against each other. While the stakes are high, these two youngsters would want to stay focused on the job.

Mirra Andreeva and Clara Tauson show great spirit ahead of their final clash in Dubai

In the pre-match press conference, Andreeva expressed great surprise about reaching the finals. “Honestly it’s crazy because at first I was not very positive before coming to Dubai. I was like, ‘OK, well, I’m just going to play.’ As always, when you don’t think about how you’re going to play, you just play your best tennis. In the end, it’s one of your best tournaments,” she said.

The Russian admitted that she’s feeling the pressure of expectations. “I would say that when I first started playing WTA tournaments, nobody expected anything from me, so I didn’t have any pressure. I was just going out on the court, I was just playing. If it doesn’t happen, if it doesn’t work, and if I lose the match, everyone was still happy with my level and with the way I play. Now, I think it’s been two years now already and now I have some kind of pressure that people are expecting some things from me. People are saying, ‘Yeah, well, she’s going to be No. 1. She’s going to win the Slams. She’s going to be great,'” the 17-year-old added. For that, she has worked with her psychologist so that she stays unfazed and focused.

On the flip side, Clara Tauson is looking to be consistent as well. “I think the consistency has been very important for me. I don’t think I’ve ever put down these kinds of results on this level. So it’s really nice for me that I can go out there and play freely. I mean, in most matches on this level I’m going to be the underdog. But hopefully soon I’ll have a better ranking so the pressure’s going to be on me,” she said.

Andreeva and Tauson’s clash will take place later today. Who are you rooting for?