Andreeva’s Indian Wells return comes with a champion’s menu and bigger expectations

INDIAN WELLS -- One of the perks of winning the BNP Paribas Open comes a year later, when the champion helps design the menu at the Champions Luncheon.

Mirra Andreeva, who blew through the field here -- defeating the current Top 3 players in the WTA PIF Rankings -- chose syrniki, a dish made with vanilla-honey mascarpone cheese, lemon zest and fresh berry compote.

“It’s kind of a dessert, but you can also eat it as a main dish as well – for breakfast, for example,” Andreeva explained Wednesday at the Porta Via Restaurant, tucked inside Stadium 1. “It’s a traditional dish that my mom cooks. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that dish. That’s why I selected it.”

Jack Draper’s choice was tenderloin au poivre with truffle fries and green peppercorn sauce. This (unbiased) reporter can tell you that both were delicious. So, too, were the possibilities for Andreeva after capturing back-to-back 1000 events on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.

By virtually any standard, Andreeva has posted terrific results in the year since defeating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set final here. She has maintained her Top 10 position, reached back-to-back Grand Slam quarterfinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and, in January, won the 500 event in Adelaide, defeating fellow teenager and good friend Victoria Mboko in the final.

And that’s the rub. Like Mboko, who broke through with a 1000 win last summer in Montreal, Andreeva created enormous expectations. That’s because what she did was unprecedented; Andreeva set a standard beyond anything seen in the 16-year history of those elite events. At 17, she was the youngest woman to win a WTA 1000 in Dubai -- and then she doubled down by taking the title at Indian Wells. In the astonishing span of one month.

Andreeva insisted that she never completely lost that elite level.

“I was just kind of struggling to play and use that level all the tournaments that I played,” she told reporters. “So it was kind of a little bit on and off, which was also a new experience for me.

“But now if that happens again, I know how to deal with it and I know what to do.”

That calibration is a huge part of the learning curve in women’s professional tennis. Because the WTA restricts the number of tournaments played by 14-to-17-year-olds, 2025 was the first full season for Andreeva, who turned 18 in April.

On Wednesday, Andreeva practiced with Mboko, someone she’s known since they came through juniors. It’s comforting, Andreeva said, to talk with someone who is the same age and stage in this sometimes difficult environment.

“Yeah, of course it's very nice to have someone to share all the different emotions and all different moments on tour,” Andreeva said. “It's just good to have a good friend on tour.”

Andreeva seems to be enjoying the process. On Tuesday night, she and Alexander Bublik advanced to the semifinals of the mixed doubles event. During the Tennis Channel broadcast, former player and analyst CoCo Vandeweghe wondered if Andreeva was feeling the pressure of the moment.

“She had a great [quarterfinal] run in Dubai, but didn’t defend her title,” Vandeweghe noted. “Big points coming off the board here. She’s going to be one to watch, especially in the early rounds.”

Andreeva, seeded No. 8, will play a second-round match on Saturday against the winner of last week’s Austin Open champion Peyton Stearns and Solana Sierra.

As players grow older and develop experience, they talk about not focusing on defending points. But when you’re only 18 and there are 1000 points about to disappear from your Top 10 ranking, how do you not think about it?

“I was worried about defending points in Dubai since [2025] Roland Garros,” Andreeva said. “I was thinking about that a lot, but then actually when I came to Dubai, the only thing I felt is excitement of being there again, of feeling new emotions as being on the tournament as a defending champion. I didn't feel the pressure for some reason as I thought I would.

“And here is the same thing. I'm just so excited to be here as a defending champion, see my photos almost everywhere, in every corner. It's just nice to be here again.”

Andreeva echoed those sentiments during her appearance at the Champions Luncheon.

“When I’m not training, I eat whatever I see, you know?” Andreeva said, smiling. “Of course, I love sweets, but I still try to keep it under the limits.”

That limit was tested Wednesday when, after tasting the velvety Syrniki for a photo opportunity, dug in and finished the job -- and then she asked for one to go.