Mirra Andreeva acknowledges she is probably not yet on Aryna Sabalenka's level, but highlights she is determined to get there because that's required if she wants to beat the best of the game.
So far, the 18-year-old Russian and the 27-year-old Belarusian have clashed six times on the WTA Tour.
While Sabalenka has won four of those meetings, Andreeva has still had some success against the world No. 1. At the 2024 French Open - just after turning 17 - the Russian upset the Belarusian to reach the semifinal at Roland Garros. The ninth-ranked Russian also pulled off a huge 2-6 6-4 6-3 win over the four-time Grand Slam champion in the 2025 Indian Wells final.
Andreeva has already clashed Sabalenka multiple times on the biggest stage and expects that to happen many more times in the future.
Andreeva: Maybe the rivalry is a little bit there, but Sabalenka is leading our head-to-head
"She beat me four times already and I (have won) two. Maybe the rivalry is a little bit there but she is leading ... unfortunately ... for now. I think we are going to have a lot of great matches in the future. Obviously I am going to have to beat some of the top players if I want to win titles. You beat them once or twice and then you get to know them better. In the end that is who you are going to play against during your whole career," the 18-year-old said in Australia.
Andreeva could possibly meet Sabalenka in her very first tournament of the 2026 season since both are scheduled to compete at the Brisbane International. If that happens, it will be their second meeting in Brisbane - the Belarusian world No. 1 beat the Russian 6-3 6-2 in the 2025 semifinal.
Andreeva and Sabalenka haven't played against each other since the Indian Wells final.
