"I followed her matches" - Maria Sharapova speaks highly of compatriot Mirra Andreeva; backs teen prodigy to break through in 2024

Former Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova has spoken highly of compatriot Mirra Andreeva.

Sharapova competed on the WTA tour for 19 years between 2001 and 2020. She won a total of five Grand Slam titles and 31 other singles titles, also being ranked as high as World No. 1.

The 37-year-old recently sat down with WTA and among several other things, talked a little about her compatriot and a tennis star in the making, Mirra Andreeva. The WTA asked Sharapova which player according to her would have a breakthrough 2024 season.

In reply, Maria Sharapova picked Andreeva, referencing the latter's performance in the 2023 season.

"This is a tough one. I want to say Mirra Andreeva will have a phenomenal year. I followed a little bit of her matches in 23’ and I think she has a strong attitude [and] she has the game to back it up. Genuinely, just like her approach and her sensibility in the game. And I think she has a very bright future ahead of her," she said.

Andreeva turned professional in 2022 and is already inside the top 50 in world rankings. She began the 2023 season with a run to the final at the Australian Open Juniors and won two back-to-back titles at ITF's Switzerland 01A and 02A.

The 17-year-old then produced a magical run at the Madrid Open with wins over Leylah Fernandez, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Magda Linette. She lost to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16.

A couple of weeks later, the teenager made her senior Grand Slam debut at the French Open and impressed with a third-round showing after having started in the qualifiers. She then grabbed more eyeballs by reaching as far as the pre-quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

In the season's last Major, she finished in the second round with a loss to eventual champion Coco Gauff.

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Mirra Andreeva bageled Ons Jabeur at 2024 Australian Open

Mirra Andreeva

Mirra Andreeva has continued to impress with her on-court performances in the 2024 season as well. She participated in the Brisbane International to get things started and earned a quarterfinal finish with wins over Diana Shnaider, fourth seed Liudmila Samsonova and Arina Rodionova.

A few days later, she made her senior debut at the Australian Open and sent shockwaves in the tennis world by scoring a bagel over then-World No. 6 Ons Jabeur in a 6-0, 6-2 second-round victory. She overcame Bernarda Pera in the first round and remained in contention until losing to Barbora Krejcikova in the fourth.

Most recently, the World No. 43 played her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the 2024 Madrid Open. She overcame Taylor Townsend, Linda Noskova, Marketa Vondrousova, and Jasmine Paolini before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the last-eight.