DUBAI
\nInspired by LeBron James and Roger Federer, Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva wrapped up a fairytale week in Dubai by becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion with victory over Clara Tauson on Saturday.
\nAfter ousting three Grand Slam winners, including second-seeded Iga Swiatek, en route to the final, Andreeva ended Tauson\u2019s own dream run at the tournament with a 7-6 (7\/1), 6-1 victory against the Dane.
\nIt was a performance that didn\u2019t just earn Andreeva a maiden WTA 1000 trophy, but also secured her top-10 debut with the Russian expected to rise to No. 9 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
\nAndreeva admitted she did not feel her best on court during the final, but drew inspiration from interviews she watched of NBA legend James talking about how champions can find ways to win even without their A-game.
\n\u201cI just told myself, \u2018You can either let that negativity come into your head and kill you, or you can choose to be 100 percent mentally and fight for every point and if something doesn\u2019t go your way, well okay fine, you forget about it and you play one point at a time\u2019,\u201d said Andreeva.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been listening to a lot of LeBron James interviews, and he said that, \u2018It\u2019s easy to be confident and to play good when everything goes your way, but what makes you a champion is when you\u2019re giving your best when you don\u2019t feel great\u2019. So that\u2019s what I tried to do today.\u201d
\nAndreeva also revealed she has been watching highlights from Roger Federer\u2019s 2017 Australian Open final victory over Rafael Nadal before her matches this week, taking cues from the Swiss great.
\n\u201cI was watching some highlights. I was like, \u2018Damn, how can he play like this? This is something extraordinary\u2019,\u201d she said.
\nTauson had been a giant-slayer herself in Dubai, knocking out world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on her way to the biggest final of her career.
\nThe 22-year-old entered the clash with Andreeva leading the tour with 15 match-wins so far this season.
\nShe was looking to add a second title to her tally in 2025, and fourth overall, but Andreeva had other ideas, as she overcame her big-hitting opponent in one hour and 46 minutes of all-court prowess.
\nIn the youngest WTA 1000 final since the category was introduced in 2009, Andreeva played a near-perfect opening-set tiebreak to take the lead after 60 minutes of play.
\nShe 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.
\nOn Monday, Andreeva will become the first 17-year-old to be ranked in the top 10 since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.
\nDuring the trophy ceremony, Andreeva congratulated Tauson and thanked her coach Conchita Martinez and her family for their support. The affable teenager then surprised the crowd by paying credit to herself.
\n\u201cLast but not least, I would like to thank me. I know what I have been dealing with so I want to thank me for always believing in me, I want to thank me for never quitting and always dealing with the pressure,\u201d said Andreeva.
\n\u201cToday it was not easy but I chose to be there 100 percent, so I thank myself for that.\u201d
\nBesides the 1,000 ranking points she received for winning the Dubai crown, Andreeva pocketed $597,000 in prize money, which she says she will hand over to her father, given she is still 17 and doesn\u2019t manage her own finances.
\nThe Russian had set a goal for herself before the start of the season to finish the year ranked in the top 10 \u2014 a target she has now checked off her list in just the second month of her campaign.
\nTauson confessed she ran out of steam at the end of a taxing week, and revealed she had been spending almost three hours each day with the tournament physios to deal with various physical issues.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t tell you where it doesn\u2019t hurt right now,\u201d said the Dane.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DUBAI Inspired by LeBron James and Roger Federer, Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva wrapped up a fairytale week in Dubai by becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion with victory over Clara Tauson on Saturday. After ousting three Grand Slam winners, including second-seeded Iga Swiatek, en route to the final, Andreeva ended Tauson\u2019s own dream run […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-463417","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n