NBA superstar LeBron James said he was happy to help Mira Andreeva. The Russian teenager said one of the King's previous interviews, in which he talked about the importance of mental toughness, inspired her to win Indian Wells.

Andreeva, 17, defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final in the California desert to claim her second consecutive WTA 1000 title, following her success in Dubai last month.

"He said that even if you don't play 100% or even feel 100% physically, I will choose to be 100% mentally ready. He said that's what makes us champions, so I tried to take his words and demonstrate it on the court", Andreeva said in an interview with Tennis Channel.

James, who is the No. 1 scorer in NBA history and a four-time league champion, congratulated the Russian on her triumph and urged her to keep going. "Congratulations! I'm happy to have helped. But honestly, YOU did THIS!! All your hard work, motivation and dedication to your craft. KEEP GOING! Aim for greatness", LeBron wrote on Instagram. | BGNES