Navratilova and a surprising comparison for Andreeva: "She reminds me of Alcaraz"

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Mirra Andreeva's week at Indian Wells has left the vast majority of tennis fans astounded. The Russian had already shown her potential when she claimed victory in Dubai, but winning in the desert, during a week of maximum exposure, and defeating the world number one in the final, brings an extra spotlight that she seems to be handling quite well. Her rise to the absolute elite is generating enormous excitement among some of the legends of this sport, such as Martina Navratilova, who showered Mirra with praise in words shared with the WTA.

"From a tennis perspective, it was insane. There was a lot of history before the final; Andreeva was 0 for 18 on break points against Sabalenka this year, couldn't break her serve... and she bounced back, which was incredible. Perhaps being 17 helps because you've never been in such a situation before. I am sure Conchita was talking to her from the bench, which was a great help, but you need to calm your nerves to achieve something like this," Martina pointed out, referring to the new gem of the tennis world, a reality that has hit the circuit like an earthquake.

Similarly, another prodigy emerged on the ATP circuit. Coming from El Palmar, Murcia, and according to Navratilova, he shares certain similarities with our protagonist's tennis style. "Mirra is a very complete player. I compare her to Carlos Alcaraz. Perhaps she doesn't have the power of other players, but she hits the ball very well, with parallel shots, and defends. That's what reminds me of Alcaraz: transitioning from defense to attack brilliantly. There was a point where she made Sabalenka crazy, who didn't know how to win a point: that's what people feel when facing Carlos," Martina stated, adding another legend to the list of comparisons.

"And she's 17? The way she plays is more like Justine Henin, incorporating slice, hitting parallel shots from both sides of the court. Henin attacked the return parallelly, moved well, although Mirra has a more powerful serve and game. Add to all that the drop shots. The slice hurt Sabalenka as well," the American asserted, not ruling out a triple triumph in Miami if, that is, she manages to stay "physically fit."

IS SWIATEK'S CURRENT SITUATION A CONCERN?

Another major point of interest from Indian Wells was the accumulated frustration of Iga Swiatek. The Polish player even had to address comments on social media, reflecting a period of changes she still needs to integrate into her tennis and personality. Navratilova spoke about this: "Iga had moments of frustration, some directed at her team. She will need to manage these emotions better because she sometimes appears very agitated. It seems she is struggling with confidence: her tennis is still there, but maintaining a positive mindset will be key. Nevertheless, let's not forget that she has been the most successful player in recent years."

Lastly, the legend of women's tennis also had words for the current world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, who was surprised by Andreeva in the final of the last major tournament of the year. "Aryna needs to change how she handles the defensive pressure she faced from Andreeva. She must try not to force her opponent off the court but rather build her way to a winning situation: she made too many mistakes. She needs to regain the patience she developed to become the world number one." Miami might offer a new chance for redemption... and to heed the advice of the former number one.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Navratilova y una sorprendente comparación para Andreeva: "Me recuerda a Alcaraz"