How iconic is Mirra Andreeva's 2025 rise?

Mirra Andreeva first flashed her talents two years ago as a 15-year-old when she won a couple of matches at the Madrid Open. It was only days before her 16th birthday that the Russian bested Leylah Fernandez, and after that Beatriz Haddad Maia, but it was proof that this kid was going places.

Since then, it’s been nothing but more amazing tennis, and we’re here at the end of March in 2025 essentially discussing whether Andreeva is the best player in the world right now. Such a statement might seem silly, but it’s really needed because for about a month, the Russian truly has been the best player in the world.

It started in Dubai, where she won a string of matches in a row, earning her first trip to a WTA 1000 final. She faced Clara Tauson in that final and beat her in two sets to win her maiden WTA 1000 trophy. That triumph pushed her into the Top 10 for the first time in her career, and it was a much-deserved achievement.

She didn’t stop there as she continued to play amazing tennis in Indian Wells, earning yet another trip to a WTA 1000 final. This time around, she faced Aryna Sabalenka, who was the reigning number one and the finalist of the only Grand Slam this year, and she bested her as well.

It wasn’t an easy win, but it was a much better performance from Andreeva, who played Sabalenka earlier that year. Two of the four losses she has this year were against Sabalenka, and both happened in Australia, and both were heavy defeats. To be able to beat her this time around simply showed how much Andreeva has grown as a player in such a short period of time.

That win pushed her to number six in the rankings, which is her career-best ranking. Another thing to note is that Andreeva is essentially number three in the race right now behind Sabalenka and Keys, who had good runs at the Australian Open. She also has the most wins on Tour this year with 20 and has the second-best winning percentage behind only Madison Keys at 83%.

She has been utterly spectacular, and it’s not wrong to say that she’s been among the best players this year, quite possibly the best player in the world in the past month.

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Mirra Andreeva is enjoying a legendary run

Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 - Day 6 - Source: Getty

To say that this is simply amazing would be to undersell how iconic it truly is. Keep in mind that the Russian is still only 17-years-old, and that she won’t be 18 until May of this year, so plenty of time to do more damage on the court.

That’s not what is usual for tennis in any sense. Yes, there have been iconic teenage players in the past, but very few players have actually managed to have this much success early as Andreeva has. In fact, only a couple of players have been able to do it, and it’s Steffi Graf and Serena Williams, which is insane company to keep.

Those two might be the two best players of all time, and that’s the type of pace Andreeva is on. She’s essentially on pace to become a legendary player, and in some ways, she already is a legendary player. Simply, we can’t divorce the fact that she’s only 17 from what she’s been able to do.

The simple reason is that tennis nowadays is quite different from the tennis of old. Today’s tennis is the most physical brand of tennis that has ever been played. You never needed to be a better athlete than right now to be successful at tennis.

There has never been more power used in the rallies than in today’s tennis, with power hitters such as Rybakina, Swiatek, and Sabalenka proving that. It’s essentially never been harder for a teenager to become a ridiculously good player than right now, and Mirra Andreeva has done it.

She has done it masterfully because she’s not only competitive. We’re way beyond that; she’s basically ascended to a level where it’s not hyperbolic to say that she might be the best current active tennis player.

That’s insane because there are a lot of great tennis players right now. And once again, she’s only 17, and that matters because unlike players like Swiatek, Rybakina, and Sabalenka, who had time to grow into their frame, she’s still not done growing.

What happens in a couple of years when she does that? Will she be unbeatable? Maybe. Time will tell, but this rise has been nothing short of legendary, and it’s not going to stop. The legend will keep growing.