Mirra Andreeva makes history as youngest WTA 1000 finalist

Seventeen-year-old Mirra Andreeva pulled off a stunning upset at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, defeating sixth seed Elena Rybakina in the semifinals to become the youngest player ever to reach a WTA 1000 final since the format’s inception in 2009.

Already the youngest semifinalist in the tournament’s history, Andreeva took things a step further with a hard-fought 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory over the 2022 Wimbledon champion. After dropping the second set that went with serve until the final game, the No.12 seed found herself trailing 1-3 in the decider. However, the rising star flipped the momentum, breaking Rybakina’s serve three times to seal the big win.

Andreeva now joins an elite group, becoming just the third teenager to reach a WTA 1000 final—following in the footsteps of Iga Swiatek (2021 Rome) and Coco Gauff (2023 Cincinnati). This marks her third tour-level final after winning her maiden title in Iasi last July and finishing runner-up in Ningbo last October.

Andreeva’s path to the Dubai final has been nothing short of extraordinary. Along the way, she took down former world No. 1 and five-time major winner Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round. With these victories, she becomes the youngest player to defeat three Grand Slam champions in a single tournament since a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova accomplished the feat at the 2004 WTA Finals.

Her stellar run in Dubai guarantees a new career-high ranking. If she finishes as runner-up, she will rise from her current No. 14 to No. 11. However, if she claims the title by defeating Clara Tauson in the final, she will break into the Top 10—becoming the youngest player to do so since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007. (source: WTA)