Andreeva crowned Adelaide International 2026 champion

Mirra Andreeva capped a near-flawless Adelaide International campaign by overcoming Victoria Mboko between the two best teenagers in world tennis.

The highly anticipated first professional duel between the next-generation phenoms was ultimately one-sided as 18-year-old Andreeva romped to her fourth WTA title with a 6-3 6-1 triumph over 19-year-old Mboko at The Drive.

A tentative Andreeva dropped the first three games before emphatically peeling off 12 of the next 13.

The third seed was relentless from the baseline, had few problems dealing with Mboko's powerful first serve and predictably had the better of the longer exchanges, sweating on mistakes from her Canadian opponent, who finished with 11 winners to 28 unforced errors.

"Obviously she started very well, hitting the ball very solid, making a lot of winners," Andreeva said.

"Then I just kind of felt that the intensity dropped a little bit from her .... I just told myself not to pay attention to that, just stay focused, do my thing, try to build my game on just making her run."

"After that I just saw that she was running less and less. She was struggling a little bit."

After dropping the first set with an errant backhand, Mboko continued to look well below her best physically, slumping behind 0-3 in the second at which point she called a medical time-out.

Searching for answers, Mboko had a cuff applied to check her blood pressure, with heart rate and oxygen levels also measured.

The No.8 seed also had a towel draped over her shoulder and ice rubbed on her upper back during a break that lasted almost seven minutes.

Mboko returned and held serve, snapping a nine-game skid, but it was only temporary relief.

"Of course today didn't go my way," Mboko said. "Mirra played such incredible tennis and unfortunately I didn't wake up feeling the best today.

"Before I went on court I wasn't feeling the best.

"I really tried to push through at the beginning of the match, but Mirra has a lot of endurance and she was really pushing me to my limits."

The contrast in physical toll between the two young stars was stark.

Including the final, Andreeva dropped 15 games all tournament. She had barely been challenged in any set, let alone looking like losing one.

Mboko, meanwhile, dropped 53 games and five sets.

"I feel like I've also played a lot of long matches this week and maybe my body wasn't really able to keep up with me for today," Mboko said.

"Hopefully I can rest up for the Australian Open, which is what I want to do well in."

Despite the anticlimactic nature of the first WTA meeting between the two super-talents, Mboko is looking forward to many more memorable meetings between the pair, over the next decade-plus and potentially on the sport's loftiest stages.

"She's one of the youngest, she's a year younger than me," Mboko said. "I feel like we're both at the very start of our careers.

"Mirra has been doing amazing, and seeing her progress has also been super fun to watch. She's also one of my very close friends, so it's also nice to have a friend with you on tour.

"I can definitely see (me) playing her in the future so many times, hopefully maybe in a Grand Slam final."

Speaking of Slams, Andreeva enters the first one of 2026 armed with loads of belief after collecting her piece of silverware since Indian Wells last March.

"Of course it gives me a lot of confidence to see myself play well on the court," she said. "I just have to bring the same level of my game and the same mindset into Melbourne.I think I'm going to play well there as well.

"Obviously I feel more confident after this win. Also winning a title is super special to me as well."

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