Andreeva claims Roland Garros title as Zverev prepares for final
Mirra Andreeva defeats Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 to secure maiden Grand Slam, while Alexander Zverev advances to men’s singles decider.
Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva has captured the French Open women’s singles title, defeating Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday. The 19-year-old secured her maiden Grand Slam victory with a backhand cross-court winner on her first match point, becoming the youngest player to win the women’s singles title since Monica Seles in 1992. Andreeva is also the first teenager to claim the Roland Garros crown since Iga Swiatek in 2020.
Chwalinska, ranked 114th, had sought to become the first qualifier in history to win the tournament. Despite a strong Polish presence in the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd, which held red-and-white flags and chanted her name, she was unable to overcome Andreeva’s consistency. Chwalinska double-faulted on the opening point and was the first to hold serve in the fifth game, but ultimately could not answer Andreeva’s ability to hit through the wind, which was cited as a significant factor during the mostly sunny final.
Andreeva’s victory marks a significant milestone in a career that has seen her considered a Grand Slam contender since her breakthrough at the 2023 Madrid Open. Her path to the title has been complicated by the ongoing geopolitical context; she has played under a neutral status and without her country’s flag due to the war in Ukraine. This season, she faced direct confrontations with this reality, including a semifinal match against Marta Kostyuk where her opponent refused to shake her hand, a custom among Ukrainian players since 2022.
The trophy presentation carried its own historical resonance. Andreeva’s coach, Conchita Martinez, who lost the 2000 French Open final to Mary Pierce, watched from the sidelines as Pierce presented the winner’s trophy. Andreeva dropped to her knees on the clay in celebration after securing the win, receiving limited support from the crowd aside from a late shout of “Davai Mirra!” in Russian.
The conclusion of the women’s final sets the stage for the men’s singles decider on Sunday, where Alexander Zverev is scheduled to play Flavio Cobolli. The tournament has been described as one of the wildest in recent memory, marked by high temperatures that led to Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal and Novak Djokovic’s third-round exit to Joao Fonseca. In men’s doubles, top-seeded Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos retained their title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.
