Legend Billie Jean King predicts young WTA star will become World No. 1

Billie Jean King has seen plenty of young talent come and go in women’s tennis, but the WTA legend has been impressed by teenager Mirra Andreeva. The 12-time Grand Slam winner praised the 18-year-old Russian and made a bold prediction about her career.

“The women are amazing and this Mirra Andreeva, this kid, she wants to be number one and she will be, as long as she stays healthy. You don’t know what life’s going to bring you and the setbacks but she’s an amazing athlete,” she said in an interview with Adidas, for “Empowering Women.”

Andreeva has quickly emerged as one of the WTA’s most compelling young players. This year, she claimed back-to-back titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, breaking into the Top 10. She is the youngest to do so since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.

The Russian has continued her momentum in the clay-court swing of the season, reaching quarterfinals in Madrid and Rome, falling to World No. 2 Coco Gauff both times.

Mirra Andreeva has been one of the rising talents in the WTA (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

With a balanced game and a calm presence under pressure, which she has been copying from Roger Federer, she’s already demonstrating the tools needed to compete at the highest level.

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She was a tennis prodigy, retired at 22, and came back to reach the Top 10 after working as a waitress

Can Andreeva make another deep run in Paris?

Andreeva’s best Grand Slam result so far came at the 2024 French Open, where she reached the semi-finals. Along the way, she knocked out Aryna Sabalenka in a tight three-set battle, before eventually falling to Italian Jasmine Paolini.

Heading into this year’s Roland Garros, expectations are higher, but she is definitely among the names that could claim Iga Swiatek’s crown in Paris. Andreeva will start her campaign against Cristina Bucsa, and she could potentially face Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka in the semis and final.