Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva capped off an enchanting week in Dubai by becoming the youngest-ever WTA 1000 champion with her victory over Clara Tauson on Saturday.
After eliminating three Grand Slam champions, including second seed Iga Swiatek, on her path to the final, Andreeva defeated Tauson, ending the Dane’s impressive run at the tournament in a 7-6 (7/1), 6-1 victory.
The performance not only awarded Andreeva her first WTA 1000 trophy but also guaranteed her a place in the top 10, as she is expected to climb to number nine in the new rankings set to be announced on Monday.
Andreeva confessed that she didn’t feel at her best during the final, yet found motivation from interviews she had seen of NBA legend LeBron James discussing how champions manage to win even when they’re not at their peak.
“I just told myself, ‘You can either let that negativity come into your head and kill you, or you can choose to be 100 per cent mentally and fight for every point and if something doesn’t go your way, well okay fine, you forget about it and you play one point at a time’,” said Andreeva.
Tauson had also proven to be a formidable opponent in Dubai, having defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka to reach the biggest final of her career.
The 22-year-old came into the match against Andreeva, leading the tour with 15 victories this season.
She aimed to secure her second title of 2025 and fourth overall, but Andreeva had different plans, as she outperformed her powerful opponent in one hour and 46 minutes of versatile play.
In the youngest WTA 1000 final since the category was established in 2009, Andreeva executed a nearly flawless tiebreak in the opening set to take the lead after 60 minutes of action.
She upped the ante in the second set, breaking twice for a 5-1 advantage and served out the win at the first time of asking. On Monday, Andreeva will become the first 17-year-old to be ranked in the top 10 since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.
