18-year-old Mirra Andreeva added another chapter to her growing tennis career, becoming the youngest woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Maria Sharapova in 2005.
However, interestingly enough, it wasn’t just her on-court performance that had the tennis world buzzing. It was her emotional reaction to a very special spectator: Roger Federer.
Following her straight-sets win, Andreeva made her feelings known about the presence of the eight-time Wimbledon champion and his wife, Mirka, in the Royal Box.
“Yeah, honestly it is something crazy,” she said, eyes wide and voice full of disbelief. “I was super nervous before playing for the first time on Centre Court. I really tried my best not to look over there in the box because I knew that as soon as I looked, I would completely lose my focus.”
When she did eventually catch a glimpse of Federer and Mirka, the moment overwhelmed her.
“I saw Roger and Mirka. It means a lot to me that you came and watched. It’s been one of my dreams to see you in real life.”
As the Centre Court crowd erupted in cheers, Federer responded with a round of applause.
Mira Andreeva, clearly still riding the emotional wave, added: “So yeah, when I saw both of you, I got really nervous. I’m just super happy I managed to stay focused. And I just want to say really quickly — Mirka, you look very pretty. I really like your outfit.”
For the uninitiated, Andreeva’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable. At 18 years and 62 days old, she reached the quarterfinals at exactly the same age Sharapova did in 2005.
In 2025, Andreeva has already reached her third Grand Slam quarterfinal, picked up six wins over top 10 players, and now owns an impressive 11–2 record in majors this season.
