The World
Tennis League provided the opportunity to witness several ATP and WTA Tour
players forming unprecedented teams for the exhibition. The Eagles team
featured
Sofia Kenin and
Mirra Andreeva as a formidable pair for the women's
doubles, showcasing an outstanding performance in the matches.
In the
final, they avenged their earlier loss in the round-robin phase to the Kites
duo of Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka with a 7-5 victory. The Kenin-Andreeva
partnership played a pivotal role throughout the tournament for their team,
ultimately clinching the title alongside Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey
Rublev.
The
unexpected partnership of Mirra Andreeva and Sofia Kenin secured their third
consecutive triumph in the 2023 World Tennis League, giving their team an
advantage in the second leg of the final. After suffering an initial defeat
against Badosa and Sabalenka (3-6) in the opening day, they rebounded with a
victory over Iga Swiatek and Caroline Garcia (6-4).
A fan on social media posted, "These two need to play doubles on the tour; I'll watch"
Kenin - Andreeva's partnership
In the last
round-robin clash, they secured another win by defeating Sorana Cirstea and
Vera Zvonaqreva (6-4), propelling their team to the final, where they
ultimately claimed the title. "We just tried to play one game at a time,
and we said, we do our best and we see what happens, and after I did a double
fault, I thought it was over, but we challenged and it was like this,"
said the 16-year-old star Andreeva, indicating a small space with her hand.
"I
think we are happy," Kenin said, laughing. "Thanks to him, he taught
us to challenge, and I said, 'ok, we will challenge,' and then the ball was
barely in. So [I said], 'oh my god, no way.' Yeah, we're really happy,"
the former Australian Open champion added.
Kenin and
Andreeva's Season
Both
players experienced a significant rise in the rankings in 2023. Kenin began the
year as world No. 227 and eventually reached the level that led her to win her
first Grand Slam in 2020, finishing the year as world No. 33. This was fueled
by results such as a semifinal appearance at the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open and
a final at the WTA 500 San Diego Open.
Andreeva,
awarded the WTA Award Newcomer of The Year, made remarkable strides, reaching
the fourth round at the French Open and Wimbledon, allowing her to climb from
world No. 293 to No. 57. Notably, she secured four victories over top-20
players at just 16 years old.