Over the past year, rising tennis star Mirra Andreeva has been making waves in the sport, courtesy of her exceptional performance. The 17-year-old athlete made her mark by reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open in 2024, and then going on to claim her first WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February 2025. This remarkable performance has catapulted her into the top 10 of the WTA Rankings. Now, she is setting her sights on securing a second WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells and possibly a Grand Slam triumph down the line.
Andreeva’s success is not an isolated incident. Instead, it’s the result of a new partnership with a legendary coach- Conchita Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion. The alliance between Andreeva and Martinez is relatively recent, having been initiated at the Rouen Open in April 2024. Andreeva seemed hopeful about this collaboration, which was brokered by her agent.
The young tennis sensation revealed that the duo’s first area of focus was improving her slice, a skill where Martinez excelled. While Andreeva acknowledged that they didn’t have any specific aspects to work on, she was eager to learn from Martinez’s expertise and apply it in her game.
Even before partnering with Martinez, Andreeva was already a promising figure in the sport. However, the addition of the Spaniard to her coaching team has undeniably propelled her to bigger achievements. Mere weeks into their partnership, Andreeva made it to the Madrid Open quarter-final. Soon after, she became the youngest major semi-finalist since Martina Hingis in 1997. She also shocked Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, on her way to the Roland Garros semi-finals, which resulted in her debut in the top 20.
Despite experiencing some challenges at Wimbledon and the US Open, Andreeva bagged her first WTA title in Iasi and clinched an Olympic doubles silver medal with Diana Shnaider. Under Martinez’s guidance, she reached her second WTA Tour final at the Ningbo Open in October, closing the year as the world’s 16th-ranked player.
2025 has seen Andreeva continue her upward trajectory, reaching the Australian Open’s fourth round for the second consecutive year and having a memorable run in Dubai. There, she defeated world No 2 Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the quarter-finals and won a thrilling three-set match against sixth seed Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. She then sailed to a 7-6(1), 6-1 victory over Clara Tauson in the final to clinch her second WTA singles title and her first at WTA 1000 level.
In the Indian Wells final, Andreeva is set to face world No 1 Sabalenka, having already bested Swiatek in the semi-finals. Andreeva appreciates the strong connection she shares with Martinez, crediting their relationship for her comfort and energy on the court.
Martinez brings a rich coaching experience to this partnership, having been the captain for the Spanish Fed Cup (now BJK Cup) from 2013 to 2017 and the Davis Cup from 2015 to 2017. She also coached Karolina Pliskova for two years and is well-remembered for her time with fellow Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, whom she guided to victory at Wimbledon in 2017 and the Australian Open final in 2020. For her exceptional performance, Martinez was named the WTA Coach of the Year in 2021.
Andreeva joins the ranks of the youngest women to reach the Indian Wells final, proving that the partnership with Martinez is indeed a winning formula.