Who was the last WTA star to reach the top 10 younger than Mirra Andreeva?
Mirra Andreeva is the name on everyone’s lips.
Most have been aware of the Russian ever since her breakout run at the Madrid Open in 2023 – but the 17-year-old hit new heights in Dubai.
Andreeva became the youngest WTA 1000 champion since the format was revamped in 2009 with her triumph on Saturday, beating both Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina on her way to the title.
Already inside the top 15 of the WTA Rankings, the 2024 French Open semi-finalist has now cracked the top 10 for the first time – rising to world No 9 on Monday.
Breaking into the top 10 as a teenager is no mean feat in this era, and – aged 17 years, 301 days – she is the youngest WTA player to make her top-10 debut since Nicole Vaidisova.
However, the decline and premature end of Vaidisova’s career offers a cautionary tale that should be remembered.
Teen star
Vaidisova was 14 when she started her first full WTA season at the beginning of 2004, though ended the year ranked inside the world’s top 100 after a stunning breakthrough season.
The Czech made her Grand Slam main draw at the US Open that summer, just weeks after winning her maiden WTA title as a 15-year-old at the Vancouver Open.
Her summer breakthrough was followed by a second title at the Tashkent Open that October, seeing her finish the year as the world No 77.
2005 saw Vaidisova memorably win three titles inside a month in October, triumphing in Seoul, Tokyo, and Bangkok – having reached the Istanbul final earlier that season.
Coupled with making at least the second round at all four majors, and progressing to two WTA 1000-level quarter-finals, she finished the season 15th in the world aged 16.
Breakthrough Slam runs and top-10 milestone
Vaidisova reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the 2006 French Open, practically identical in age to Andreeva when the Russian made the last four of Roland Garros last summer.
Shortly after winning her seventh and final WTA title in Strasbourg, 16th seed Vaidisova shocked both top seed Amelie Mauresmo and Venus Williams before a loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova.
That was followed by a run to the fourth round of Wimbledon, and that August she made the top 10 of the WTA Rankings aged 17 years, and 106 days – only 195 days younger than Andreeva.
Vaidisova ended 2006 as the world No 10 and reached her career high of seventh in May 2007, amid further impressive major runs.
The 10th seed was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open, falling to tennis legend Serena Williams, and also reached back-to-back Slam quarter-finals at Roland Garros at Wimbledon.
She finished 2007 as the world No 12, though she would not scale such heights again.
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Fall and early retirement
Though Vaidisova reached a second straight Wimbledon quarter-final in 2008, her fall down the rankings was noticeable.
She ended 2008 down at 41st – a drop of 29 spots from the end of 2007 – and was almost outside the top 200 by the end of 2009, falling to 188th – and failing to qualify for the US Open.
In March 2010, Vaidisova’s stepfather and coach Ales Kodat revealed that she had retired from sport weeks before her 21st birthday, revealing she had lost interest.
Though she attempted a comeback in 2014 and 2015, this was short-lived – and it has now been close to a decade since she confirmed her second retirement in 2016.
What can Andreeva – and we – learn?
Vaidisova never won a title as significant as Andreeva now has in Dubai, though she found a consistency at Grand Slams that the 17-year-old is still searching for.
The Czech was one of the hottest prospects of her generation but, like so many before her, early success did not always provide happiness, and her short career showcases how gruelling tennis can be.
For Andreeva, Vaidisova’s journey perhaps highlights the importance of both not placing too much pressure on her own shoulders, and trying to ignore wider expectations.
It is equally a reminder for those watching on that burdening Andreeva, or any other young talent, with abnormal levels of pressure is rarely beneficial.
Talented as she is, there is no guarantee that she will win Grand Slam titles or reach world No 1; no one is guaranteed that kind of success.
As with many other junior stars, it may be best to watch on and see where the Andreeva pathway takes us.
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