Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, recently praised Mirra Andreeva, predicting that she could win her first Grand Slam title in 2026. He also suggested that she has the potential to challenge for the World No. 1 ranking next year.
Andreeva most recently participated in the 2025 US Open. She was seeded fifth in the singles competition and defeated Alycia Parks and Anastasia Potapova in the first and second rounds before losing to Taylor Townsend in the third round.
What Did Rick Macci Say About Mirra Andreeva?
This year, Andreeva had a decent showing at the Grand Slam tournaments. She reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, where she was defeated by eventual runner-up Aryna Sabalenka.
At the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships, the World No. 5 reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Loïs Boisson and Belinda Bencic, respectively. At the US Open, she lost in the third round.
Andreeva also secured two WTA titles this year: the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships, where she won against Clara Tauson in the final. She also clinched the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, where she triumphed over Sabalenka in the championship match.
In light of these performances, Macci took to social media and expressed that Andreeva, whom he referred to as the “Russian Rabbit,” will continue to improve and “gravitate” to the next level in 2026, aiming to secure a Grand Slam title.
The tennis coach also highlighted that Andreeva possesses the “fight,” “ball striking,” and “bag of tricks” needed to contend for the World No. 1 ranking next year.
“Look for the Russian Rabbit Andreeva to gravitate to the next level and grab a Slam next year. She can be number one by the end of 2026 because she has the fight the ball striking and a bag of tricks. @MirraAndreeva,” Macci posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Look for the Russian Rabbit Andreeva to gravitate to the next level and grab a Slam next year. She can be number one by the end of 2026 because she has the fight the ball striking and a bag of tricks. @MirraAndreeva
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) September 16, 2025
In addition to her singles campaign at the 2025 US Open, Andreeva also competed in the doubles event with Diana Shnaider and in the mixed doubles with Daniil Medvedev.
Andreeva and Shnaider reached the quarterfinals in the doubles competition but lost to Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens. In mixed doubles, the World No. 5 and Medvedev were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the top-seeded pair of Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.
Where Will Mirra Andreeva Compete Next?
Following the conclusion of her campaign at the 2025 US Open, Andreeva is set to begin her run in the Asian swing of the Tour. Her first tournament in Asia will be the 2025 China Open, which is scheduled to take place at the National Tennis Center in Beijing from Sept. 24, 2025, to Oct. 6, 2025.
Alongside the World No. 5, players expected to participate in the WTA 1000 hard court event in Beijing include defending champion Coco Gauff, Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Naomi Osaka, Katie Boulter, Bianca Andreescu, Amanda Anisimova, Belinda Bencic, and Leylah Fernandez.
In 2024, Andreeva was seeded 17th at the China Open, and she began her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She defeated Irina-Camelia Begu in her opening match, winning with a scoreline of 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-1.
Andreeva then defeated 16th seed Donna Vekić with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, and followed that with another victory against 31st seed Magda Linette, winning 6-1, 6-3 in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Her run at the WTA 1000 hard court tournament ended in the quarterfinals when she was eliminated by fifth seed Zheng Qinwen, losing with a scoreline of 7-5, 0-6, 4-6.
