ITF World Tennis Tour Player of the Month: Mirra Andreeva
Consider it a late birthday present. Mirra Andreeva, who turned 16 on Saturday, has been named ITF World Tennis Tour Player of the Month for April following her stunning and attention-grabbing triumphs.
Andreeva has only contested two ITF World Tennis Tour events this season and has topped the podium at both – at W60 Chiasso as a qualifier and then W60 Bellinzona a week later.
She clearly developed a taste for silverware while in Switzerland and her exploits have got the tennis world talking, with her already burgeoning reputation now considerably enhanced by her performances at the Madrid Open.
In recent days, Andreeva has made history by becoming the youngest player to reach the round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event. Along the way, she defeated two Top 20 opponents in world No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil in the second round and then world No. 19 Magda Linette of Poland in round three.
Andreeva eventually succumbed to reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, but her quality and significant potential have now been showcased to the wider world. Indeed, the ITF World Tennis Tour is the main artery to the ATP and WTA Tours and once again that pathway has proven imperative in the development of a dynamic and gifted individual.
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Incidentally, Andreeva is also ranked No. 3 in the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings having reached three finals so far in 2023, including the Australian Open Junior Championships in January, so she was flickering on ITF radars even sooner.
However, it was those back-to-back wins at professional events that really piqued interest in her ongoing development. After all, she is the only player in ITF World Tennis Tour history to win multiple titles at W60 level or above before turning 16.
That was achieved prior her most recent triumph at W60 Bellinzona as she conquered all before her at W60 Meitar in November – her fourth of six ITF World Tennis Tour titles since April 2022.
Aged just 15 years, six months and six days at W60 Meitar, Andreeva became the third youngest player (after Mirjana Lucic and Sara Bejlek) to collect an ITF title at W60 or above.
The upshot of her incredible performances during April is a career-high WTA Ranking of No. 194 and the platform to star on lofty stages. That she has certainly done and her prodigious talent is the envy of many.
Congratulations, Mirra.