Seventeen-year-old Russian tennis sensation, Mirra Andreeva, outshined Aryna Sabalenka to secure the coveted Indian Wells title this past Sunday. The young prodigy battled it out to achieve a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 triumph in the final, marking her second singles victory in what can only be described as an astonishingly successful career thus far.
The Indian Wells victory garnered Andreeva a staggering £869,000 ($1.12 million) prize, a fitting sequel to her recent victorious endeavor at the Dubai Championships. Propelling herself to the sixth spot in global rankings, the teenager’s career earnings have now crossed an impressive £3.8m ($4.93m), surpassing Britain’s cherished Emma Raducanu. It is worth mentioning, however, that Andreeva can’t currently access her considerable prize money until she turns 18.
Posed with the question of how she intended to spend her Dubai winnings, Andreeva candidly replied, “All questions to my dad. It all goes on his credit card because I don’t have my own yet. I cannot have my own bank account because I’m not 18.” She humorously added, “I’m hoping that he will leave me some to spend somewhere, to buy chips and Coke.”
Her recent victory at Indian Wells has positioned Andreeva ahead of Raducanu in terms of career earnings. Raducanu, the former US Open winner, has amassed £3.63m ($4.71m), which is £170k less than the world’s new No.6. Despite an early exit from the Indian Wells tournament, the 22-year-old British player is optimistic about future prospects after partnering with a fresh coach days before the tournament.
As Andreeva’s 18th birthday approaches on April 29, the young tennis star may soon gain control over her financial resources. However, beyond her expressed interest in purchasing a family dog, Andreeva confessed to being uncertain about her plans for the significant sum.
“Honestly, I don’t even know what I want. Now I think about it and I feel like I have everything I ever wanted,” she reflected in the aftermath of her Dubai victory. “My family is traveling with me. I have a great team. I don’t know what else I need. I feel happy and I feel this is all I need.”
The youngest player ever to claim a WTA 1000 title, Andreeva has now doubled her career titles with her recent success in California. The world waits with bated breath for her next performance at the Miami Open, set for this Friday.