Andreeva puts the tennis world on notice

MUMBAI: Mirra Andreeva likes to carry a little notebook with her to court. It contains handwritten notes on the opponents the 17-year-old has faced, and she often flips through it during mid-match changeovers (TV cameras snooped in to capture a page headlined, "INDIAN WELLS Rybakina").

- Rutvick Mehta [e-mail]

Over the years, as the annals of women's tennis turn chapters on generational prodigies, Andreeva's name will stand out in the current era. As the youngest champion of the prestigious Indian Wells tournament since Serena Williams in 1999. As the youngest woman to win back-toback WTA 1000 events since Martina Hingis in 1997. And as one of only three women aged under 18 to have beaten the world No.1 and No.2 in the same tournament other two? Serena Williams and Steffi Graf. That's some elite company to be in.

Andreeva was always looked at as a prodigious talent, and the Russian's sizzling run in the Californian desert could potentially light her path to making further inroads into such elusive clubs.

When the teen turned the tables on Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final on Sunday, she capped off a terrific week in which she took down world No.2 Iga Swiatek, Australian Open quarterfinalist Elina Svitolina, and 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina. Make that a terrific month, swinging back to Dubai where she also won and went past Swiatek and Rybakina to become the youngest WTA 1000 champion.

Sabalenka, Swiatek and Rybakina are currently the three most powerful pros on the women's tour flaunting Grand Slam-winning pedigree, and this baby-faced giant-killer has defeated them all over the past month two of them twice. No woman has won more matches so far this year than Andreeva.

No teen has created quite a stir in recent times-perhaps with the exception of Coco Gauff, now 21-since another Russian teen sensation turned star, Maria Sharapova.