Andreeva's Grand Slam Debut
Russian Teenager Mirra Andreeva Claims First Grand Slam Title at French Open
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva claimed her first Grand Slam title at the French Open on June 6, defeating Polish qualifier Maja Chwalińska 6–3, 6–2 in just 80 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris. The 19-year-old, seeded eighth, was clinical throughout, breaking Chwalińska's serve six times and firing 14 winners in the first set alone, according to Sportsnet.
The win ends a 12-year Grand Slam drought for Russian women, dating back to Maria Sharapova's 2014 French Open title. Andreeva is also the youngest Roland Garros champion since Monica Seles, who won the title at 18 in 1992 — a gap of 34 years, Forbes reported.
A Dominant Run Through the Draw
Andreeva entered Roland Garros as the No. 8 seed and barely broke a sweat across two weeks. Her only wobble came on May 26, when she dropped the opening set 3–6 to Marina Bassols Ribera before recovering to win, according to Front Office Sports. From there, she did not drop a set.
In the semifinals on June 4, Andreeva demolished world No. 15 Marta Kostyuk 6–1, 6–3 to reach her first Grand Slam final, Sportsnet reported. Defending champion Coco Gauff, who had beaten Iga Świątek in last year's semifinals, fell in the third round this year to Anastasia Potapova.
Chwalińska's Cinderella Story Falls Short
Maja Chwalińska, a 24-year-old ranked No. 114, became only the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final, after Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open. She took an 18-month break from tennis in 2021 to deal with depression, making her run the emotional story of the tournament, according to Forbes.
But Andreeva never let her dream take hold. Analyst Tim Henman put it plainly during the TNT Sports broadcast: "The difference is Chwalinska is hoping to win, Andreeva is expecting to," The Independent reported. Despite the loss, Chwalińska is expected to jump from No. 114 to around No. 40 in the world rankings.
Coach Martínez Credits Andreeva's Rapid Maturity
Andreeva's coach, former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez, praised the teenager's growth after the match. "She is very talented, however, she has such a margin still to improve," Martínez said. "She keeps on maturing, she's better in every aspect," according to the Roland-Garros Official Site.
Analysts also pointed to Andreeva's tactical skill in handling wind gusts of up to 29 mph during Saturday's final. She mixed moon balls, forehand slices, and a sharper serve to take apart Chwalińska's slower, crafty game, Front Office Sports noted. Boris Becker praised her emotional control, saying she avoided the "racket-smashing outbursts" that had appeared earlier in her season, per Sky Sports.
A New Generation Takes Over Women's Tennis
Andreeva is the first player born after 2005 — male or female — to win a Grand Slam title, according to Front Office Sports. She earned $3,248,000 (€3,000,000) in prize money, up from the $2.9 million Gauff collected in 2025. It is her sixth career singles title overall.
Her win is the sixth different Grand Slam winner in six consecutive majors, underscoring a wide-open era in women's tennis. Andreeva is now expected to rise from No. 8 into the top 5 by Monday, per WTA Official Rankings, and is already viewed as the top threat heading into Wimbledon.
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