Mirra Andreeva joined the legendary pair of Steffi Graf and Serena Williams after achieving a remarkable feat by winning the 2025 BNP Paribas Open women’s singles final in Indian Wells as a 17-year-old. The Russian teen tennis prodigy won the WTA 1000 event with a hard-fought comeback win over WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Andreeva started the Indian Wells final on the back foot, as a rampant Sabalenka stormed to a 6-2 opening-set win. However, instead of caving in and letting the Belarusian dictate proceedings, the Russian came into her own in the second and third sets and produced a masterclass in defense. Andreeva also mixed things up on her return games to keep Sabalenka guessing, which saw the 17-year-old clinch the second and third sets 6-4 and 6-3, respectively.
With the result, Mirra Andreeva became only the third player in history to register wins against the World No. 1 and World No. 2 in the same tournament before turning 18. The Russian previously ousted No. 2 Iga Swiatek from the tournament in the semifinals. Steffi Graf achieved the same feat back in the 1987 Miami Open. At the time, the German defeated No. 1 Martina Navratilova in the semis and then No. 2 Chris Evert in the final.
Serena Williams achieved the feat at the 1999 US Open. Williams came out on top against No. 2 Lindsay Davenport in the semis and then won the final against No. 1 Martina Hingis. The title triumph marked Williams’ maiden success on the Grand Slam stage. She would win 22 more singles Major titles before retiring at the 2022 US Open.
Interestingly, one of Serena Williams’ former coaches had a bold prediction about Mirra Andreeva ahead of the 2025 BNP Paribas Open women’s singles final.
“Mirra Andreeva is in a bubble like Maria Sharapova was” – Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rick Macci
Rick Macci, who coached Serena Williams and her elder sister Venus during their childhood, drew parallels between Mirra Andreeva and Maria Sharapova ahead of the 17-year-old’s Indian Wells final showdown against Aryna Sabalenka. Macci, who also briefly coached Sharapova during her younger years, predicted that Andreeva would go on to win several Grand Slam titles.
“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,” Macci wrote on X.
The 17-year-old’s title triumph in Indian Wells comes on the back of her maiden WTA 1000-level success at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Andreeva’s moment of glory in the Californian desert has also seen her break new ground on the ranking front, with the Russian climbing to a career-high ranking of World No. 6.