Mirra Andreeva thanks herself for 'running like a rabbit' to defend against Aryna Sabalenka in Indian Wells

Mirra Andreeva is making Maria Sharapova look good.

The former world No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam singles champion has made no secret her affinity for the teenage sensation, and after Andreeva won her second consecutive WTA 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday, Sharapova gave the youngster a shoutout in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Many congratulations!" Sharapova exclaimed following Andreeva's historic three-set comeback against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, while dubbing Andreeva as "so poised," and the victory—her 12th straight match win—as "so well deserved."

Read more: Mirra Andreeva becomes second-youngest woman to defeat No. 1 and No. 2 at the same tournament

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In 2024, Sharapova, who knows a thing or two about making big statements as a teenager, said in an interview that she was tabbing Andreeva for a breakthrough. She told the WTA website at the time that, "I think [Andreeva] has a strong attitude. She has the game to back it up, and genuinely I just like her approach and her sensibility in the game. I think she has a bright future ahead of her."

Andreeva delivered on that promise last year by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros, but in the last month, has exploded as one of the WTA's biggest stars.

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With wins in Dubai and Indian Wells, she has posted the longest winning streak for a player younger than 18 in two decades. With wins over world No. 2 Iga Swiatek and top-ranked Sabalenka in Palm Springs, she became the youngest player in 40 years to top the world No. 1 and No. 2 players en route to winning a title. She is the third-youngest Indian Wells champion after Martina Hingis in 1998 and Serena Williams in 1999, and will be ranked a career-high world No. 6 on Monday.