…19-year-old Mirra Andreeva becomes the first teenager to win the French Open women’s singles title since Iga Swiatek in 2020, with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Poland’s Maja Chwalińska
Mirra Andreeva’s rise reached a new milestone on Saturday (6 June) as the 19-year-old defeated Poland’s Maja Chwalińska 6-3, 6-3 on a windy day at Roland-Garros to capture the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup and the first tennis Grand Slam title of her career.
The teenager arrived on Court Philippe-Chatrier as the No. 8 seed and the favourite in the final against world No. 114 Chwalińska.
Facing each other for the first time and both competing in their maiden Grand Slam final, Andreeva and Chwalińska felt the pressure in front of a packed crowd. But while both players had enjoyed breakthrough runs to the championship match, it was Andreeva who proved the steadier presence.
Chwalińska’s tricky, varied style initially caused problems for Andreeva, with the Pole taking a 3-2 lead in the opening set. But once the teenager found her rhythm, the momentum shifted decisively. Andreeva reeled off nine consecutive games to seize control of the match before eventually closing out a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
At 19 years old, Andreeva becomes the youngest Roland-Garros women’s singles champion since Iga Świątek lifted the title as a teenager in 2020. She is also the youngest women’s champion in Paris since Monica Seles won her third consecutive French Open crown in 1992 at the age of 18. Andreeva also became the first player born after 2005 to play in a Grand Slam singles final, men’s or women’s.
Coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez, Andreeva displayed a level of maturity, tactical intelligence and composure far beyond her years throughout the tournament.
After thanking her team, coaches, family, fans and psychologist, Andreeva took a moment to acknowledge the person who made this “dream” result happen:
“I want to thank myself for working so hard and giving my best,” the new Grand Slam champion said.
While the title ultimately belonged to Andreeva, the tournament will also be remembered as a breakthrough moment for Chwalińska.
The 24-year-old produced the run of her life to reach her first Grand Slam final. Unsponsored and unseeded, Chwalińska entered Roland-Garros ranked 114th in the world, having never advanced beyond the second round of a major, a feat she achieved at Wimbledon in 2022.
Her journey to the final was all the more remarkable considering she ended 2023 ranked outside the world’s top 300 at No. 349. Along the way in Paris, she defeated four top-50 opponents and became the first Polish woman other than Świątek in recent years to mount a serious challenge for a Grand Slam title.
“Congrats to Mirra. You’re such an incredible player. You’re so young and talented it is annoying!” Chwalinska joked on the court, runner-up plate in hand. “I wish you could see a better match today, but Mirra was too good for me. It’s her fault! I tried my best. I definitely won’t forget these three weeks, Paris will stay for ever in my heart. Merci.”
