"Those thoughts are going to kill me" - Mirra Andreeva reveals one thing she will not do before Dubai final against Clara Tauson

Mirra Andreeva opened up about one thing she would not do before she entered the court for her first WTA 1000 final. The Russian teenager is set to take on Clara Tauson in the Dubai Tennis Championships final.

Andreeva has pulled off a phenomenal run to the final in Dubai. As the 12th seed, she lost only 10 games in the first three rounds, defeating the likes of former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Elina Avanesyan, and Peyton Stearns.

Her impressive form took World No. 2 Iga Swiatek by surprise as well as the Russian defeated the Pole 6-3, 6-3. In the semifinals, Andreeva faced a third Grand Slam champion in 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina. The 17-year-old dropped a set for the first time in the event but kept her composure to win 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

During her post-match press conference, Andreeva was asked how she felt like being a first-time WTA 1000 finalist two months before her 18th birthday. The Russian said that is one thing she tries not to do at all.

"For now, I’m just trying not to think about that at all... When I didn’t think about my results and about what’s going to happen, I reached the final, so if I start thinking about ‘what if I can, ‘what if I cannot’, ‘what if I’m able, what if I’m not able’, then those thoughts are going to kill me," Mirra Andreeva said.

The former World No. 1 junior made her WTA Tour debut in 2022 and made a name for herself when she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal last year. The 2024 French Open was just her fifth main draw appearance at a Major and she got the better of World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka to reach the last four before falling to Jasmine Paolini.

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Dubai Tennis Championships 2025 final: Mirra Andreeva faces Clara Tauson for the first time on the WTA Tour

Mirra Andreeva at the Dubai Tennis Championships - Source: Getty

The former Junior No. 1s Clara Tauson and Mirra Andreeva will face each other for the first time when they take to the center court during the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships final on Saturday, February 22.

Tauson, much like Andreeva, has earned her place in the final. She defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round and got the better of 14th seed Karolina Muchova in the semifinal to reach her first WTA 1000 final.

Andreeva is in her third WTA final and a win would give her a second career singles title, making her the youngest-ever WTA 1000 champion. Moreover, it would secure her debut in the Top 10 of the WTA rankings. Tauson, meanwhile, playing her fifth final and second this season, is chasing her fourth career title.