Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova dropped a surprising compliment for Mirra Andreeva, who represents Sharapova’s country, Russia, in tennis. Before her Pickleball debut today, Sharapova candidly spoke about her admiration for this Russian tennis prodigy. Now, Andreeva bagged the title of WTA Player of the Year, just like Maria Sharapova did. It feels like the Russian star’s performance has finally caught the eye of the tennis legend.

After Andreeva’s WTA achievement, many fans thought Sharapova inspired her. Why wouldn’t that be? The world’s former No. 1 is regarded as an icon by many newcomer tennis stars. Following Sharapova’s compliments for Mirra Andreeva, the tennis legend has finally noticed Russia’s new rising star in tennis.

Maria Sharapova is hopeful about women’s tennis because of Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva

In a recent interview, Sharapova spoke about her fondness for the US Open 2023 champion, Coco Gauff. Sharapova spoke about her admiration for the new tennis generation, who are doing incredibly well. She commented: “I’ve loved watching a new generation rise up to the occasion, I was so impressed with how Coco handled the victory in New York last year.” However, her fans were genuinely excited when they heard Mirra Andreeva’s name from Sharapova’s mouth. The Russian tennis legend seemed confident about Andreeva’s future excellence in tennis. She said, “Also, it’s great seeing the rise of new names and opportunities for athletes like Mirra Andreeva.”

Sharapova’s comments expressed her love for the dedication WTA players have brought to the scene. In this context, she added, “We’re seeing so much more consistency in the women’s game, and that has been really refreshing.” 

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Since Maria Sharapova is a true tennis icon, receiving compliments from her is no less than a considerable recognition for Mirra Andreeva.

Mirra Andreeva’s request for the icon Sharapova

For Andreeva, Sharapova is a living legend who inspired her professional tennis journey. However, this young Russian tennis prodigy has a different request for Sharapova if she meets the latter. Andreeva said: “I would ask Maria what her feeling was like when she won her first Grand Slam at 17. Then I would want to know other things, but the first thing would be to know what she felt after she won Wimbledon in 2004.”

Maria Sharapova’s compliment surely has delighted her young fan, Mirra Andreeva. Now that Andreeva is a huge fan of Sharapova, this compliment will surely inspire her to achieve more feats in tennis.

So, who did impress Sharapova the most? We say it’s a close call.

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