Andreeva advances to French Open final amid tense atmosphere
The 19-year-old’s victory ends Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk’s 16-match winning streak on clay, with geopolitical tensions evident in pre-match protocols and post-match conduct.
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva secured her first Grand Slam final at the French Open on Thursday, defeating Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The 19-year-old converted her first match point while serving for the match, concluding a contest that was marked by a palpable tension between the two competitors.
Andreeva began strongly, saving three break points in her opening service game before racing to a 4-0 lead with a series of forehand winners. Although Kostyuk broke back to trail 4-3 in the second set, prompting loud applause and chants from the crowd, she subsequently dropped her next service game. The defeat ended Kostyuk’s 16-match winning streak on clay, a surface on which she had not lost prior to this tournament.
The atmosphere surrounding the match reflected the broader geopolitical context, with Kostyuk and her countrywoman Oleksandra Oliynykova having spoken out during the tournament regarding the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This tension was visible in the pre-match protocols, where the players took separate photos on opposite sides of the net rather than posing together. Following the match, there was no handshake; Kostyuk walked off the court quickly, turning only to wave and blow kisses to the spectators.
Environmental conditions played a role in the latter stages of the match. The roof at Court Philippe-Chatrier was closed toward the end of the second set, a decision Andreeva noted provided better conditions for Kostyuk’s clay-court game. This followed complaints from previous quarterfinalists Aryna Sabalenka and Anna Kalinskaya about swirling wind when the roof was open earlier in the week.
Andreeva acknowledged the difficulty of her opponent, stating, "Obviously, she has had an amazing season. Until this match, she has not lost a match on clay." She added that her mindset of fighting to give her best was key to her success. Later in the day, the other semifinal featured left-handed players Diana Shnaider of Russia and Maja Chwalinska of Poland, with Chwalinska reaching this stage after coming through three qualifying rounds.
In other events on Thursday, top-seeded Italian pair Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori won the mixed doubles final, defeating Gabriela Dabrowski and Evan King 4-6, 6-3, 10-4. Additionally, an Italian is guaranteed to reach the men’s singles final, as Flavio Cobolli will face fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Friday.
