“I’m not really looking forward to my 18th birthday, because I don’t want to get old!”, Mirra Andreeva, the teenage tennis sensation, said earlier this month while approaching her big day. Ever since making her professional debut two years ago, Andreeva has skyrocketed to new heights. Especially this season, where she became the youngest WTA 1000 finalist and then title winner, too, in Dubai. And, she turned it into a double delight with a second straight 1000 trophy at the BNP Paribas Open. Also, she became the first player, aged 17, to find her way into the top 10 since Czechia’s Nicole Vaidisova in 2007. While she may seem like a fearless warrior on the court, Andreeva’s still a kid, isn’t she? And she doesn’t want to get old.

In just two days, Mirra will turn into an adult on April 29. But she might not be entirely happy about it. Previously, in an interview, she expressed her honest feelings. “I don’t want to become an adult so soon. And I don’t really expect any gifts, because I hope that I will still be playing in Madrid at that time. I will try to make a gift for myself by playing there. And if I have to play on my birthday, I will try and win that match,” she said.

And now she has reiterated her sentiments once again. On Saturday, the 17-year-old Russian star bested Polish player Magdalena Fręch (7-5, 6-3) in R32 at the Madrid Open. With that, she’s now into the pre-quarterfinals of this WTA 1000 event for a third straight season. In 2023, she came as a wildcard, aged 15, and made it to the R16. Last year, she went a step further and even reached the QF, marking her best campaign in Madrid.

After her victory over Frech on Saturday, April 26, Andreeva sat down for an interview with Tennis Channel. Apart from her on-court prowess, she was also asked to express feelings about turning “18 soon”. But Andreeva’s not looking forward to this transition. “Oh no…” she groaned. But why is she so upset over growing up? “I don’t want to be responsible for myself,” she revealed.

The Russian also threw light on her growth as a player in the last year. What’s really changed for her? “I think that Mirra, 12 months ago, was still surprised with how she plays on the court. She was also surprised with beating top players. But I think Mirra, that is here today she can rely more on herself. She trusts herself more on the court.”

She continued, “She knows what to expect from herself when she plays the match. I feel a bit more confident, but it’s not self-confidence. I’m more confident in my tennis. I’m happy you can see a bit of a difference and that I’m improving.”

Andreeva’s consistent improvement across events has stunned several notable tennis figures. Some of them believe she may soon reach the No.1 spot in the WTA rankings as well!

Mirra Andreeva has been backed to rule women’s tennis in the near future

After her maiden WTA 1000 victory in Dubai in February, former American pro Andy Roddick showered praise on the teenage sensation. The 2003 US Open champion said, “Mirra Andreeva is going to be number one in the world at some point.” Soon, she also won the Indian Wells title, defeating current No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash. This time, Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs expressed her admiration for the teenager while making a bold prediction. Per Stubbs, Mirra Andreeva is going to be a “perennial top-five player.” As of now, the 17-year-old is No.7 on the rankings.

Rick Macci, another ex-coach of Serena, came up with a huge prediction for Andreeva. After her dominance over Sabalenka in Indian Wells, Macci wrote on X, “Mentally she (Andreeva) is in a bubble like Sharapova was. Mentally cut and uses the same Russian cloth of right here, right now.”

Continuing further, the Hall of Famer added, “Andreeva, barring injury, will be a double-digit Slam champion and has the potential to be the Cream of the Crop of any Russian who got to the Top.” Macci reckons the Russian prodigy is a complete player and is prepared to “launch to multiple Grand Slams.”

What are your thoughts on Andreeva? Do you think she’s got the potential to become No.1 anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below.