Mila Andreeva made history on Wednesday when she defeated top-ranked professional tennis player Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals. French Open It was the first time in nearly 30 years that he had reached a Grand Slam semi-final.
Andreeva, an unseeded 17-year-old from Russia, played off the script to win the match 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4.
Mila Andreeva of Russia plays against Aryna Sabalenka of Russia during the women’s singles quarterfinals at the French Open on June 5, 2024 in Paris, France. (Frey/TPN/Getty Images)
“I always play the way I want to. I make plans with my coach for the match, but once the match is over I forget everything. When I’m playing there’s nothing in my head,” she said after the match.
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“So I guess you could say my strengths are just playing the way I want to play and doing whatever I want to do.”
Her uncompromising approach to her game has paid off: Andreeva, who just turned 17 in April, is now the youngest player in history to reach the semifinals. Grand Slam It’s the first time since Martina Hingis achieved this feat at age 16 in 1997.
That year, Hingis won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open He reached the final at the French Open.
Mila Andreeva celebrates after winning a match point against Aryna Sabalenka during the 11th day of the French Open women’s singles quarterfinals on June 5, 2024 in Paris, France. (Quality Sports Images/Getty Images)
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This is Andreeva’s sixth major tournament appearance and she will next face 28-year-old Italian Jasmine Paolini, who is also reaching her first major semifinal.
But deep down, Andreeva is pretty much like any other teenager.
“I guess I’m pretty much like any other teenager because I still have to do schoolwork, which I don’t want to do. In my free time, I watch a lot of TV dramas. I watch Netflix. Sometimes I spend too much time on Instagram,” she says. “But what makes me a little bit different is that I don’t know if I’d call myself mature, but I feel like I’m a mature person, and I feel like I know what I’m doing.”
Mila Andreeva speaks to media after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals on day 11 of the French Open on June 5, 2024 in Paris, France. (Robert Plunge/Getty Images)
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Andreeva and Paolini will face off on Thursday morning, when world No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face Coco Gauff earlier in the day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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