Nineteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva is now a Grand Slam champion.
After a run at Roland-Garros that saw her lose just one set in her seven matches, Andreeva of Russia bested world No. 114 Maja Chwalińska of Poland on the red clay this Saturday, 6-3, 6-2.
Despite the unhappy ending, this year’s French Open was something of a fairytale tournament for 24-year-old Chwalińska; on her way to the women’s final she trounced the likes of Zheng Qinwen, Elise Mertens, and Anna Kalinskaya in blistering straight sets.
Yet on Saturday she was overpowered by Andreeva, who has been a star on the rise since the 2023 Madrid Open, when she reached the round of 16 at just 15 years old. Another breakout moment arrived the following year, when Andreeva advanced to the semis at the French Open after upsetting Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinal.
“You’re so young and talented, it’s annoying,” Chwalińska joked, addressing Andreeva during Saturday’s trophy ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier. “Congrats to your team for an amazing job and I wish you the best for the future.”
“Congratulations to Maja for these amazing three weeks,” Andreeva said, in turn, on stepping up to the microphone for her remarks. “You’re a very tricky opponent.”
“It’s been a big dream of mine to win this tournament,” she went on after thanking her team, including coach Conchita Martínez, “and I honestly can’t believe I’m holding the trophy.”
