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2 Weeks After Promising Wimbledon Run Ended in Controversy, Russian Youngster Mirra Andreeva Shares Her Headstrong WTA Ranking Aspirations

Published Jul 25, 2023 | 10:00 AM EDT

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In the captivating world of professional tennis, the emergence of young talents is always a sight to behold. A rising star has caught everyone’s attention, Mirra Andreeva, a 16-year-old tennis prodigy from Russia, has been making waves on the WTA Tour with her impressive performances.

In a recent interview, fresh off of her win against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska at Lausanne Open, she expressed her end-of-year goals. While her Wimbledon run ended on a bittersweet note, which, in retrospect, involved a heated argument with the umpire, a frosty handshake, and racquet throwing incident. However, Andreeva breaking into the main draw of Wimbledon, let alone reaching the round of 16 in her first attempt at a tender age of 16 still remains a remarkable accomplishment.

Mirra Andreeva on her year-end goals

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Mirra Andreeva’s journey to success has been truly impressive. Recently, she returned to clay in Lausanne and easily defeated Dayana Yastremska in two sets, showcasing her incredible skills. Her great performance and form, along with a great Wimbledon run, helped her reach an incredible World rank of 66. But Andreeva is not stopping there; she has even bigger aspirations.

In a post-match interview, Andreeva spoke candidly about her aspirations for the remainder of the year, stating, “In the beginning of the year, I wanted to be in the top 70, but now I’m 66 so one goal is done. But till the end of the year, maybe to be in the top 50. If I can do it, it would be amazing for me for sure, but If not, I have maybe 20 more years to do that So I think I will get a chance to be top 50.”

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With her current ranking already among the Top 70 players in the world, Andreeva’s dream of reaching the Top 50 seems very possible. She remains humble and is focused on her gradual progress, knowing that she has the potential to go far in her tennis career after her Wimbledon feat. But how did Mirra Andreeva’s Wimbledon run end on a bittersweet note?

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Andreeva’s bittersweet Wimbledon run

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Andreeva’s remarkable journey at Wimbledon had spectators at the edge of their seats. However, it ended in a cloud of controversy during her fourth-round encounter with Madison Keys. The 16-year-old qualifier received a point penalty for an incident involving her racquet.

Andreeva had been warned for throwing her racquet after losing the second set. She seemed to slip and touch the grass with her hand in the third set when she was chasing a deep ball before her racquet struck the floor. Despite her protests, the umpire gave her a second warning and a penalty point, giving her opponent, Madison Keys, an advantage.

Andreeva argued with the umpire, insisting, “I didn’t throw the racquet, I slid. It’s the wrong decision. I slid and then I fell.” The decision was upheld, and Andreeva left the court very quickly and shook the hand of her opponent, Madison Keys, even after appealing to the umpire with all her might, as reported by BBC.

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Mirra Andreeva’s passion for tennis and her relentless pursuit of excellence has already made her a name to remember in the world of women’s tennis. With her eyes firmly fixed on ascending the WTA rankings, her journey promises to be thrilling and full of possibilities.

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Written by:

Ansh Tandon

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Ansh Tandon is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports. Ansh received his undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has been working in content creation for 2+ years. Before Ansh stepped into sports journalism, he was a professional tennis player, honing his skills in national level tournaments for the past 12 years as an active AITA athlete.
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Edited by:

Bhavani Singh