Dubai plays key role in Mirra’s rise to Top-10

18-YEAR-OLD FINISHES YEAR AT CAREER-HIGH OF NO 9

- BY JAI PRASAD. V RAI Assistant Editor

When Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva arrived in Dubai earlier this year, she carried a simple dream: to sit beside a champion’s trophy and speak at her own press conference.

That dream became reality when she defeated Clara Tauson in straight sets to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

At just 17 years and 299 days old, Andreeva became the youngest WTA 1000 finalist and champion since the format was introduced in 2009. The victory propelled her into the world’s top 10, making her the first 17-year-old to reach that milestone since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.