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PARIS: Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva has completed a remarkable rise from prodigy to Grand Slam champion, defeating Poland’s Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 in the French Open final on Saturday to claim the women’s singles title at Roland Garros.
The 19-year-old, ranked eighth in the world, delivered a composed performance to end the unexpected run of Chwalinska, a 114th-ranked qualifier who had reached her first Grand Slam final. With the victory, Andreeva became the youngest women’s singles champion at the French Open since Monica Seles, who won her third consecutive title at age 18 in 1992.
On match point, Andreeva sealed the win with a backhand cross-court winner before dropping to her knees on the clay in celebration.
During the trophy ceremony, Chwalinska congratulated her opponent with a light remark, saying, “You’re so young and talented. It’s so annoying,” drawing smiles from the crowd.
Andreeva delivered an emotional victory speech in which she thanked herself for perseverance through personal challenges.
“I want to thank myself for believing in myself, always giving my 100%, even when it’s tough, trying every day to be better as a person and as a player, believing that I can do this, fighting so many demons inside of me,” she said.
She also acknowledged her psychologist, who she said was watching from Florida, crediting her mental preparation during the tournament. “Everything that you’ve told me I’ve been trying to use these two weeks and I would say that it worked not bad,” she added.
Born in Siberia, Andreeva later moved to Sochi and then France to develop her tennis career. She has been considered a rising star since breaking through at age 15 at the 2023 Madrid Open, where she became one of the youngest players to win a match at a WTA 1000 event and reached the quarterfinals.
Her victory in Paris comes amid ongoing challenges for Russian athletes competing under neutral status due to the war in Ukraine. During the semifinals, Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk declined to shake hands with Andreeva, continuing a practice observed by Ukrainian athletes since the start of the conflict in 2022.
Andreeva’s win adds another milestone to a tournament filled with surprises. The men’s final is scheduled for Sunday, with Alexander Zverev set to face Flavio Cobolli.
