Roddick has no doubts about Mirra Andreeva: "She will be number one"

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A week after her great triumph in Dubai, the tennis world continues to react to the tremendous talent that Mirra Andreeva possesses, who this week debuts as a top 10 player in the rankings. A 17-year-old girl who continues to live up to the expectations of all those who saw her as a future dominator of the circuit. Are we talking about a future number one? For some experts, there is no debate, as in the case of Andy Roddick, who briefly analyzed in his famous podcast why the Russian has elements that her rivals do not possess. A good opportunity to reinforce the idea that Mirra is already a player completely of the present.

“Mirra Andreeva will be world No. 1 at some point,” dares to headline the American, someone who knows what it's like to sit on that throne. "I watched her throughout the week in Dubai, a tournament that, even though it's not a Grand Slam, allowed me to realize how much she has improved and the credit we must give her. What worried me about her was that she wouldn't be a physical phenomenon like Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, or the Williams sisters, so I think she could be more of a phenomenon closer to what Martina Hingis represented. I myself wondered: Will she be able to create enough pace to not be dominated by women like Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek? Well, she has already defeated both of them."

It's evident that Andreeva doesn't have the power of Sabalenka; nature didn't grant her that quality. Possibly, she also doesn't have Swiatek's mobility, nor her game intelligence, at least not yet. What she does have is a mind like a sponge that absorbs knowledge every week, along with a predisposition to improve in every tournament she enters. That's why her case is entirely exceptional, an incursion among the top ten in the world at a pace of precocity that we haven't seen since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.

“She has an elite motor, creates sufficient pace, and does things that no one else does,” Roddick adds, captivated by the Russian's charms. "Her ability to play against her opponents' movement makes her shots even more powerful. She doesn't need to play big to get through. Her preparation is also good enough to outplay the women she faces; she knows perfectly well how to stay in the exchange and remain there. She has many options, intelligence beyond her age, and certainly Conchita Martínez has done an exceptional job leading the way,” the American assures.

A TOUR TO MAKE THE NEXT LEAP

As if that wasn't enough, the girl also has charisma, not to mention the ambition of champions. What were her first words after winning in Dubai? Besides congratulating her team and thanking herself for her consistency and discipline, the Russian wasted no time in setting a new challenge: to reach the top 5 in the world. Her desire to be the best in the world is there, but the springboard that can take her to that height is in this month of March. Everything that happens between Indian Wells and Miami will be positive for Mirra since she doesn't defend a single point between these two tournaments. If she doesn't succumb to the pressure after lifting her first WTA 1000 trophy, we might see that challenge of reaching the top 5 globally sooner than expected.

“Now it's time to play in Indian Wells, where there's some altitude and the ball bounces and flies,” the more technical Andreeva commented in an interview with Tennis Channel a few days ago. “Regarding Miami, from what I've seen on television, it seems a bit faster, so we'll see which of the two tournaments I prefer. Last year, for example, I had to withdraw from the Miami tournament, so I'm super excited to compete there for the first time and play on those courts,” concluded the player.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Roddick no duda con Mirra Andreeva: “Será número uno”