In the space of just two months, Mirra Andreeva has reached her first Grand Slam semifinal, won her first WTA title and claimed an Olympic silver medal.
These are results which have catapulted the 17-year-old to a career-high ranking of world No.23.
According to the teen prodigy, this is increasingly where she feels she belongs.
Speaking to Viv Christie on this week’s episode of The Sit-Down, Andreeva said it still felt slightly dreamlike that she was achieving such incredible success so young.
"But now I already get used to this a little bit; I start to feel the atmosphere more and I start to kind of feel like I start to belong here, it's not like I'm new anymore and like (a) new surprise or something,” she said.
"That felt like a dream, but now I get used to this a little bit more, and it just feels like my life now.”
LISTEN: The Sit-Down with Mirra Andreeva
Andreeva only began playing regularly on the WTA Tour last year, and in 2024 has already scored three top-10 wins, including a 6-0 6-2 win over idol Ons Jabeur in the second round of the Australian Open.
Another came against world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, marking a career-best Grand Slam result.
She lost early in her two subsequent tournaments on grass, including Wimbledon, but rebounded to win the WTA 250 crown in Iasi, Romania, her first tour trophy.
That pushed her back up to her career-best ranking of 23rd, which she first attained after Roland Garros.
Then came the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she combined with fellow rising star Diana Shnaider to win silver in the women’s doubles.
"As a player, I changed. I think I became more aggressive, and I know what I want on court,” Andreeva reflected of her journey in the past 12 months.
“It's not like I just go there and play and try to enjoy and just win as many games as I can. Now I go and I know what I want and I know what I also need.
“I think that as a player I became more kind of straightforward and I feel like ... this is a bit of next level for me, a bit of an upgrade.
"And as a person, a bit more mature. And that's it, actually. I'm still the same as I was last year; just maybe a bit more mature and I don't say some crazy stuff anymore.
“But still the same old Mirra.”
Listen to the full episode of The Sit-Down, a weekly podcast released each Monday featuring an in-depth interview with a notable tennis identity. Subscribe via The AO Show in your favourite podcast player.