Starting strong but fading, winning two WTA 1000 titles yet facing setbacks, Andreyeva's 2025 inner struggles

It is widely recognized that, on both ATP and WTA tours, the 1000 tournaments rank just beneath the Grand Slams in prestige. Hence, claiming a title at a 1000 event is no easy feat. Yet, in 2025, a player who won two such titles faced a downturn. Who is this athlete? This article will reveal the details.

This player is Russian Andreyeva. Back in 2023, at just sixteen, she won five consecutive matches starting from the French Open qualifiers, reaching her first Grand Slam round of 32. That year, she advanced even further from the Wimbledon qualifiers, making it to her first Grand Slam round of 16. She boosted her world ranking by nearly 300 spots and earned the WTA Rookie of the Year award.

In mid-February, seeded at the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships, Andreyeva swept past Armenian player Avanesyan in the first round. Notably, Avanesyan was formerly a Russian player who only switched nationality in August 2024. In the second round, Andreyeva defeated former Wimbledon champion Vondrousova without dropping a game.

Perhaps fueled by confidence from that match, Andreyeva went on to beat tour champions such as American Strycova and three-time French Open winner Polish player Swiatek, reaching her first WTA 1000 semifinal. In the semis, after a tough three-set battle, she overcame former Wimbledon champion Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, becoming the youngest player to reach a WTA 1000 final. In the final, she won in straight sets against Denmark’s Tauson, claiming her first WTA 1000 title.

After winning the WTA 1000 Dubai title, Andreyeva kept her momentum going. At the WTA 1000 Indian Wells event, she had a first-round bye, then defeated France’s Gajdošová in straight sets in the second round. In the third round against Denmark’s Tauson, she delivered a flawless performance, winning without losing a game to advance smoothly.

In the following matches, Andreyeva defeated Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, Ukraine’s Svitolina, and Poland’s Swiatek, reaching her second WTA 1000 final of the 2025 season. Despite losing the first set in the final, she came back to win the next two sets, overcoming world No.1 Belarusian Sabalenka to claim her second WTA 1000 championship.

Unfortunately, despite partnering with compatriot Schneider to win the WTA 1000 Miami doubles title and reaching her first Wimbledon quarterfinal, Andreyeva failed to reach any further singles semifinals on tour. Moreover, she was eliminated early in seven tour events. As a result, her ranking was overtaken by Italy’s Paolini and Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, forcing her to watch competitors qualify for the year-end finals while she gradually slipped from leader to chaser, eventually becoming the first alternate outside the main draw.

Although Andreyeva and Schneider made their debut at the year-end doubles finals, they lost all three group matches and faced elimination. However, considering Andreyeva is still under nineteen, there remains great potential for her to achieve even greater success. Fans may continue to hold high hopes for her. That’s today’s tennis story; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)