Mirra Andreeva Hands Over £869k Indian Wells Prize to Father Due to Banking Laws
Mirra Andreeva may have just won the biggest title of her young career, but she won’t be seeing much of her £869,000 prize money—at least, not yet. Due to Russian banking laws, the 17-year-old is too young to have a bank account in her own name, meaning her winnings have gone straight to her father’s account.
Despite the windfall, Andreeva’s first purchase after her Indian Wells victory was far from extravagant—a Lego Mona Lisa set worth just £76 (€90).
Andreeva’s Lighthearted Take on Prize Money Control
During a chat with fellow player Daria Kasatkina, Andreeva revealed her quirky purchase. When Kasatkina inquired whether she had bought the big or small version, Andreeva pulled out her phone and showed a photo of the Lego set before sharing it with the camera.
Kasatkina, amused, then joked:
“Wow, and where did the rest of the money go?”
Andreeva has previously spoken about her finances, explaining that until she turns 18 on April 29, her father has full control over her earnings. Following her Dubai Tennis Championships win last month, she reiterated:
“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.”
She jokingly added:
“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.”
A Rising Star in Women’s Tennis
Andreeva’s Indian Wells triumph has propelled her to No. 6 in the WTA rankings, marking a significant step in her rapidly rising career. Having reached the French Open quarter-finals last year, she is now in a strong position to challenge for her best-ever Grand Slam finish at Roland Garros, the next major on the calendar.
Her emotional victory over Aryna Sabalenka was capped off with a memorable on-court interview, where she fought back tears before addressing the crowd:
“I’d like to thank myself—for fighting until the end, for always believing, and for never quitting. I tried to run like a rabbit because Aryna was sending bullets [across the net], and it was hard.”
With her total career prize money now approaching £3.8 million, Andreeva’s future looks incredibly bright. And soon, she’ll have full control over her earnings—just in time for her 18th birthday.
