Elena Vesnina, a former Olympic doubles champion, praised Mirra Andreeva after the French Open and called the result impressive. Vesnina, renowned for her own storied career, highlighted Andreeva as a rising star who has captured attention with her fast rise and mature on-court intuition. Her comments appeared in a live discussion hosted by Sports Express, underscoring the belief that Andreeva is walking a path toward the sport’s elite echelon.
“This is remarkable. A 17-year-old making a run to the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament signals a rare blend of talent and composure. Andreeva has demonstrated exceptional skill, and she reads matches with a maturity beyond her years. She retrieves balls with tenacity, anticipates opponents’ moves, and places herself on court with a strategic sense that belies her age”, Vesnina stated. The comparison to Martina Hingis, she added, references a player who imprinted a similar sense of anticipation and court sense when she was coming through the ranks. Vesnina emphasized that Andreeva’s ability to position herself effectively ahead of contact is a sign of high-level preparation and innate feel for the game.
Andreeva, at 17, became the youngest player to reach the Roland Garros semifinals in more than two decades. In the penultimate round, she was defeated in two tight sets by Jasmine Paolini of Italy, a player whom Andreeva had previously beaten in Madrid in a straightforward two-set victory during the quarterfinals, marking another strong week on clay. The Madrid result had signaled that Andreeva could translate her form across surfaces and stages, reinforcing expectations about her potential in the Grand Slam arena.
In the quarterfinals, Andreeva upset Arina Sabalenka, the Belarussian star who was ranked second globally, signaling a breakthrough moment that solidified her position among the sport’s most watched young talents. The win demonstrated that Andreeva could seize opportunities against elite opponents and elevate her game under pressure, a hallmark of players who later contend for major titles.
Following Roland Garros, Andreeva’s ranking surged as she moved into a position close to the world’s top 30. At the time, the 17-year-old had already shown decisiveness on the court that suggested greater breakthroughs lay ahead. While she had not previously progressed beyond the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, the French Open run marked a turning point that drew attention from coaches, analysts, and fans who monitor the trajectory of the sport’s most promising talents. The discussion around her ascent focused on the combination of raw talent, tactical awareness, and the mental fortitude required to compete against world-class players on the sport’s biggest stages.
Observers anticipated that Andreeva would push higher in the rankings during the current season, with many predicting a continued climb toward the top 10 as her consistency and experience continued to grow. The season’s narrative around her career began to shift from potential to proven capability, as she demonstrated that her development could translate into sustained success across the tour. This perspective aligns with a broader view of how young players can progress when given opportunities to test themselves against the best and when their game evolves under the pressure of major tournaments. The public conversation around Andreeva highlighted how quickly junior success can be translated into results at the senior level, a theme frequently explored by analysts and commentators when assessing the next generation of champions.