Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

LeBron James Responds With Heartfelt Message to Mirra Andreeva Crediting Him for Indian Wells Title Motivation

Andreeva admitted that LeBron James' interviews helped her in mental preparation for the match.

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

NBA legend LeBron James congratulated Mirra Andreeva after her inspiring Indian Wells victory. The 17-year-old tennis star from Russia made headlines after defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Andreeva became the tournament’s third-youngest female winner after Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.

LeBron James, the NBA superstar, is a true inspiration for budding athletes across various sports. The 40-year-old legend shared a heartfelt response on his social media handle after Mirra Andreeva credited him for motivation for her win at the Indian Wells Masters.

“Congratulations! YOU did THAT!! All your hard work, drive, and dedication toward your craft. KEEP GOING! #striveforgreatness,” James posted on Instagram.

LeBron James congratulates Mirra Andreeva on winning Indian Wells.

Her star keeps rising. ⭐️❤️ pic.twitter.com/c3vjdxBcoj
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 17, 2025

LeBron James’ response came after Andreeva’s early admission that his interviews helped her in mental preparation for the match. The Russian star won the match with scores of 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 after coming from behind. It wasn’t an easy thing to fend Sabalenka off after losing the opening set.

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She recalled how LeBron James’ advice about resilience and mental strength guided her to bring high confidence during the match.

“He (LeBron James) said it’s easy to be confident when everything goes your way, but what makes you a champion is giving your best when you don’t feel great. So I tried to do the same today,” Andreeva said.

Mirra Andreeva triumphs in back to back Masters 1000 Tournaments!

Mirra Andreeva became the tournament’s youngest champion since Serena Williams in 1999 after beating the three-time Grand Slam title winner, Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday. The 11th-ranked Andreeva had a poor start to the match and dropped the first set 2-6 against Sabalenka.

She angrily smacked the ball toward the stands after losing the opening set and this aggression helped her to play better in the remaining game. Andreeva was going great on serve, compiling a 17-7 edge in winners. After taking the second set 6-4, the Russian teenager looked much improved in the decider. She took the early 1-0 lead in the third set and Sabalenka allowed Andreeva to take control of the game.

Andreeva finished the game with one last forehand winner. She was in complete disbelief and covered her face with both hands. She earlier beat the No. 2 ranked Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. Her record against the top-10 ranked players has improved in the last one year.

the moment Mirra Andreeva became Indian Wells CHAMPION at 17-years-old! 💚#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/E9SlUVmpgA
— wta (@WTA) March 16, 2025

“I know I was, as you like to say, a little brat, a little bit, in the morning,” Andreeva said after title victory. “That’s because I was super nervous. I’m sorry for that.”

“I tried to run like a rabbit today,” Andreeva continued. “It was really hard to just keep up, so I just tried my best and that’s why I would thank myself because I think I played a little part [in the win], also.”

Andreeva is also the first player under age 18 to beat the ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at the same WTA tournament since 1999. The 17-year-old star would shift her focus on the upcoming Miami Open. She has a great chance to achieve the rare feat of winning three consecutive WTA 1000 titles.

Indian Wells Masters

LeBron James

Mirra Andreeva

Gulshan Sharma

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.