The ‘new Coco Gauff’ is a Russian 16-year-old aiming to take Wimbledon by storm

A tennis prodigy will make her full Wimbledon debut on the age of 16 subsequent week after flying by the qualifying rounds regardless of having by no means performed on grass earlier than in her life.

Mirra Andreeva was not given a wildcard place and needed to navigate her method by three rounds of qualifying this week, however after profitable her first two matches in straight units, the Russian noticed off Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 to achieve the primary spherical correct on Monday.

Ranked 102 on the earth, Andreeva has made a reputation for herself on clay courts however is a whole rookie on grass. However, she demonstrated no issues by any means adapting to a brand new floor and because of this has develop into the youngest participant to make it by the qualifying rounds at Wimbledon since Coco Gauff in 2019.

Andreeva can now anticipate loads of media focus over the approaching days as tennis followers will likely be intrigued to see if she will be able to take a giant scalp similar to Gauff did on her debut 4 years in the past.

The American was simply 15 when she shocked tennis by defeating five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in straight units earlier than happening to make it so far as the third spherical. The 19-year-old is now ranked quantity 4 on the earth.

With 22 wins and simply three defeats to her title to date this season and an general document that reads 61/12, Andreeva has already amassed simply shy of £225,000 in prize cash since becoming a member of the WTA lower than a 12 months in the past.

She has already appeared in the primary draw of a Grand Slam, after making it by qualifying on the French Open. At Roland-Garros she defeated Alison Riske within the first spherical earlier than seeing off wildcard Diane Parry to achieve the third spherical of a significant on the first try.

It was right here that she met fellow teenager Gauff and regardless of taking the primary set, the sixth seed fought again to win the match. That run moved her 40 locations up the world rankings, now sitting simply exterior the highest 100.

Andreeva’s 19-year-old sister Erika can also be a tennis participant on the WTA. The siblings are initially from Krasnoyarsk however moved to Moscow for coaching and now have a coaching base in Cannes, France, with their coaches Jean-René Lisnard and Jean-Christophe Faurel.

Andreeva will kick off her Wimbledon journey on Monday when she faces Spaniard Rosa Vicens Mas within the first spherical.