Mirra Andreeva showed nerves of steel in the Indian Wells final. The 17-year-old, who has been on a meteoric rise since making waves as a 15-year-old at the 2023 Madrid Open, pulled off a stunning comeback to defeat Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Before that final, Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci had drawn an interesting comparison. He had called Andreeva the “turbo-charged Russian Rabbit” because of her elite movement. And in a hilarious moment after her victory, the Russian tennis star confirmed the nickname herself. During her post-match speech, she joked about being a “rabbit” trying to fend off the “bullets” fired by Sabalenka. Now, Macci has made another bold prediction.

The legendary coach is all praises for the teenage prodigy. Taking to X, Macci wrote, “Her first serve is already a weapon at 17 with precision and a mature visual decision. She gets free lunches with aces/ non returns and shortbreads to munch on is another major weapon in the SIDE POCKET of the soon to be number one RUSSIAN ROCKET.”

The numbers back up Macci’s statement. Andreeva has already smashed 95 aces this season. Against Sabalenka, she fired six aces while the Belarusian managed just one. Her first-serve percentage stands at 60.4%, and her serve is a combination of explosive power and smooth execution. In Dubai, she blasted ten aces to take down Iga Swiatek. That creativity is something her coach, Conchita Martinez, has been working on with her.

Martinez recently revealed that when they started training together last year, Andreeva barely knew how to hit a slice backhand. Fast forward to now, and she’s slicing, dicing, and outmaneuvering the best in the world. Former US Open champion Andy Roddick is also impressed. He pointed out that she is already an “elite mover” and doesn’t even need to go big to break down opponents.

Rick Macci has been a big believer in the teenage sensations’s potential for a while. He previously compared her to her compatriot Maria Sharapova, stating that she has the same mental strength and focus. On X, he wrote, “Mentally she (Andreeva) is in a bubble like Sharapova was. Mentally cut and uses same Russian cloth of right here right now. 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.”

That comparison holds weight, especially since Macci once coached Sharapova. And Andreeva’s achievements are already mirroring the Russian legend’s records. By defeating Sabalenka, she became the youngest player to beat a world No.1 in a WTA final since Sharapova stunned Lindsay Davenport in Tokyo back in 2005.

But Andreeva isn’t too keen on these comparisons.

Mirra Andreeva focused on her own legacy amidst comparisons

With her epic win against Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva has now become the second-youngest woman to defeat both the number one and number two (Iga Swiatek) in the same tournament. She is now also the third-youngest woman ever to win the Indian Wells title after Martina Hingis (1998) and Serena Williams (1999).

When asked about them after her win, she made it clear that she’s focused on her own path. “Yeah, of course I know what’s been going on, and about Maria and Serena. I have watched them play a lot, so I also know that they won a lot of titles and a lot of tournaments while being very young. So I don’t know. I try to not really think about it, because after, I can start to overthink, I can start to compare myself, and then I don’t think that it’s going to lead me to any good. I know what they have done. Okay, good for them. But I try not to think about them and try to focus on what to do with my career,” the teenager explained.

Andreeva is aware of history but refuses to get caught up in it. She’s focused on her own journey and her own legacy. So what’s next? The Russian will head to Miami for the second half of the Sunshine Double, which kicks off on March 19. After conquering Indian Wells, can she go all the way again? What do you think?