Wimbledon star's first purchase after giving £1m to parents said a lot
Teenage tennis star Mirra Andreeva showed her true colours by admitting she only bought a Lego version of the Mona Lisa after claiming £869,000 worth of Indian Wells prize money. The 18-year-old prodigy has made waves at Wimbledon in recent weeks, defeating Hailey Baptiste in straight sets on Saturday to secure her spot in the round of 16.
In doing so, the Russian became the youngest player since Caroline Wozniacki to achieve ten or more major wins in a year. She also became only the fourth women's player in the 21st century to reach the round of 16 at the first three Grand Slams of a season before turning 19.
Andreeva will come up against 10th seed Emma Navarro on Monday afternoon. It comes after she earned close to a million pounds after clinching the second Masters 1000 title of her career in March at Indian Wells, beating Aryna Sabalenka in two sets.
Her phenomenal rise came so early in her career that she admitted earlier this year that she didn't even have a bank account in her own name. Andreeva confessed that her finances were actually managed by her father until her 18th birthday on April 29.
'My dad bought me Lego for the win,' Andreeva told compatriot Daria Kasatkina on the latter's YouTube channel, What The Vlog. 'Big one or small one?' probed Kasatkina. 'I'm going to show you a picture,' Andreeva responded before getting out her phone.
Andreeva proudly showed Kasatkina a picture of her Lego Mona Lisa set that set her back just £76. Kasatkina couldn't hide her surprise, asking: "Wow, and where did the rest of the money [go]?"
The modest purchase highlighted how Andreeva is not fussed by the more flashy and luxurious items of this world.
After triumphing at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, Andreeva admitted her dad is in charge of her winnings as she was not yet legally able to have a bank account in her own name.
When quizzed on her plans for the prize money, the teenager replied: 'All questions to my dad. It all goes on his credit card because I don't have my own yet. I cannot have my own bank account because I'm not 18.'
The world No. 7 joked: 'I'm hoping that he will leave me some to spend somewhere, to buy chips and a Coke. Yeah, I don't know. I'm going to ask him.'
Despite being overcome with emotion, Andreeva battled through her tears to address the crowd after clinching her three-set victory against Sabalenka, which took her career winnings to around £3,796,988.
"I'd like to thank myself - for fighting until the end, for always believing and for never quitting,' Andreeva said. 'I tried to run like a rabbit because Aryna was sending bullets [across the net] and it was hard."
Andreeva is already guaranteed to pocket a hefty £240,000 from Wimbledon this year, but a win over Navarro on Monday afternoon could see her earnings soar to £400,000.
However, it's not just money on the line for the Russian, as a win over Navarro would also seal her spot in the prestigious Last 8 Club - a lifetime membership that offers players who reach the quarter-finals perks such as free tickets to the Championships and access to hospitality suites.
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