Every year, at the end of April, Mirra Andreeva finds herself celebrating her birthday not with cake and candles, but with clay beneath her shoes. Last year, as she approached her 17th birthday, she made a simple, clear wish after her Madrid Open Round of 32 win — more victories. Andreeva worked on it and clawed her way back from 5-2 down in the first set to defeat Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the Round of 16. That gritty win didn’t just check off a personal goal — it also launched her into her very first WTA 1000 quarterfinal, making her the second-youngest player to do so since 2009. That was just the beginning. So, how is she planning to spend her 18th birthday on April 29?

Fast forward to 2025, and Andreeva is back in Madrid, now a top-10 player with three full years on the senior tour. What was once a wildcard entry at age 15 has turned into a full-circle moment. She has returned to the tournament that ignited her ascent, this time not as an underdog, but as one of the main contenders. In just this season alone, the 17-year-old has captured back-to-back WTA 1000 titles with triumphs in Dubai and Indian Wells, defeating heavyweights like Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Aryna Sabalenka.

With such a stellar run behind her, how does the teenager plan to celebrate her 18th birthday? “I really hope I am going to be in the tournament. So, no big celebration,” Andreeva said in a recent interview with WTA. The answer came with a laugh and a touch of teenage dread. “Oh no,” she had reacted when asked about turning 18.

In a previous interview, she had stated, “I’m not really looking forward to my 18th birthday, because I don’t want to grow old! 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.”

Even though a low-key birthday seems to be her preference, there might be a small twist. She added, “Don’t know if we’re going to celebrate properly. But most likely we will because my dad will be turning 50 on the same day. So maybe we’ll come up with something, go out somewhere. But I’m not sure there will be a huge celebration.”

And all this talk of getting older has made the Russian teenager embrace a new identity. At her pre-tournament press conference in Indian Wells earlier this season, she poked fun at herself. “I don’t know. You know, of course I’m going to be turning 18 soon, so, yes, I am becoming an old woman unfortunately,” she said with a laugh. “So yeah. Well, I don’t know if I can be an up-and-comer; I have no idea. I don’t know.”

And yet, this “old woman” has already launched her Madrid campaign with the same fire and finesse that marked her debut here.

Mirra Andreeva clears her first round at the Madrid Open

“It feels like literally a week ago,” Mirra Andreeva said, reflecting on her memories of the tournament. “But, yeah, of course, I’m super excited to come back to Madrid. I have great memories.”

However, in that short amount of time, her rise is undeniable. The 17-year-old has hit more winners (398) and aces (78) than anyone else in WTA 1000s this year. Her Top 10 record? An even 9-9 — already impressive for someone who hasn’t even officially become an adult yet. She’s also the youngest player to break into the WTA Top 10 in the last 18 years.

The World No.7 made her return count by defeating Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-4 in the second round on Thursday. That win sets her up for a third-round clash against 27th seed Magdalena Fręch on Friday — a match that could fall close to her birthday weekend. So far, Madrid continues to be her kind of party. Can she go even deeper this year, maybe all the way to the final? What do you think?