LeBron James Praises Tennis Star Mirra Andreeva After Motivation Shoutout

Tennis star Mirra Andreeva credits LeBron James for being the motivation behind her recent success ... and now the King himself is weighing in on her back-to-back wins -- giving her high praise after her hard work paid off!!

The 17-year-old Russian athlete defeated Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the Indian Wells Open on Sunday ... and weeks before that, she won the Dubai Championship.

Before her most recent victory, Andreeva mentioned how she had listened to an old interview involving James that resonated with her.

"He was saying that even if you don't play 100% or even if you don't feel 100% physically, I'm gonna choose 100% mentally," Andreeva said.

"He said that's what makes us champions, so I tried to do the same."

Well, it worked ... and James said he was happy to see her results.

"Congratulations," James said on his Instagram story on Monday. "YOU did THAT!! All your hard work, drive, and dedication toward your craft. KEEP GOING! #striveforgreatness."

The win made Andreeva the third-youngest female champ after Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.

She's also the youngest female to have back-to-back WTA 1000 wins since Hingis accomplished it in 1997.