“She’s got the level” – Kasatkina sees a big future for her young compatriot Mirra Andreeva

Mirra Andreeva might just be the story of the European clay-court stretch in 2023.

The young Russian has glided seemingly effortlessly onto the main tour with a formidable game that is accompanied by a serene and grounded personality.

Remarkable run en route to Roland-Garros

So far this year, Andreeva has put together a win-loss record of 26-4 across all tour levels. Given that she only made her WTA pro tour debut during this time, that is a remarkable run of results for the young Russian.

Her first ten matches at WTA level have so far yielded eight wins to two losses (including qualifying rounds).

When asked about the future prospects of her teenage compatriot, Kasatkina was effusive in her praise.

“So she’s physically really strong. She’s mentally strong. She’s got the level. I mean, we can see clearly she’s winning a lot of matches on tour already, and she’s very young.”

Andreeva relaxed at Roland-Garros

Kasatkina, who was speaking after her third round win over American Peyton Stearns, is clearly impressed by Andreeva’s abilities not just technically, but in her laid back demeanour also.

One of the more striking elements of Andreeva’s breakthrough has been how at ease she appears when speaking to the press. Her ability to capture the attention of the tennis world with humorous off-the-cuff remarks is almost as striking as the precision with which she hits a tennis ball.

As Kasatkina put it, “She’s not nervous (laughing). She’s not. At 16 you’re not nervous, actually.

“But definitely Mirra, she’s got level for sure. Two consecutive tournaments, Madrid and here, she’s winning good matches, beating good players. Definitely she’s already very good.”

Andreeva’s run at her first ever 1000-level event included quite breathtaking wins over Leylah Fernandez, Haddad Maia, and Australian Open semi-finalist Magda Linette.

Andreeva – who turned 16 during that run at the Madrid Open – backed up that breakthrough by coming through three rounds of qualifying in Paris, and then reaching the third round on her debut as the youngest player in the draw.

Her run was ended by Coco Gauff, another preciously gifted young talent. But the impact that Mirra Andreeva has made at Roland-Garros and in Madrid will reverberate far beyond this fortnight.

Andreeva’s future is as bright as her personality, and promises to add another rich layer to a rapidly growing list of WTA talent.

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