Tennis history was made on the red clay of Roland Garros on Saturday, as 19-year-old Russian rising star Mirra Andreeva claimed her maiden Grand Slam crown with a dominant straight-sets victory over Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the women’s singles final. Finishing the clash 6-3, 6-2, Andreeva etched her name into the tournament’s record books as the youngest women’s singles champion at Roland Garros since then-18-year-old Monica Seles captured her third consecutive Paris title back in 1992.
Beyond this milestone, Andreeva also made history as the first player of any gender born after 2005 to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy. This major win adds another prestigious accolade to Andreeva’s already impressive young career, which has seen her collect two WTA 1000 titles to date, and the iconic Coupe Suzanne Lenglen will now take pride of place in her growing trophy collection.
Speaking to the crowd on centre court immediately after her victory, an emotional Andreeva shared that the win fulfilled a lifelong dream. “I’ve been watching Roland Garros on TV since I was very, very young, so it’s also a big dream of mine to win this tournament and I honestly cannot believe that I’m holding this trophy right now,” she said, before extending thanks to her support team, singling out her psychologist for special recognition. She also paid tribute to Chwalinska’s incredible run through the event: “Congrats to Maja for these amazing three weeks, passing through qualies, winning so many matches, beating so many great players.”
For Chwalinska, ranked world No. 114 entering the tournament, the final defeat brought an end to a Cinderella run that already secured her place in tennis history. The Pole became the first qualifier ever to reach the women’s singles final of the French Open in the Open Era, after winning nine consecutive matches across qualifying and the main draw in Paris. While she fell short of the title, the run will catapult her rankings to No. 21, guaranteeing her direct entry and regular competition in all future Grand Slam tournaments.
In her post-match remarks, Chwalinska graciously congratulated Andreeva on her win, joking: “Congrats to Mirra, you’re such an incredible player. You’re so young and talented, it’s so annoying. I wish (the spectators) could see a better match today, but Mirra was just too good for me, so I guess it’s her fault.” Adding of her breakthrough run, “I will definitely not forget these three weeks. Paris will stay forever in my heart.”
The final got off to a tense start, with Chwalinska dropping two opening serves into the net on the very first point of the match. Blustery wind conditions on centre court amplified the pressure of the occasion for both players, who had never faced each other before, with the match opening with four consecutive breaks of serve. After the initial flurry of breaks, each player held serve once as they began to test one another’s strengths and weaknesses.
Andreeva soon dug in and seized control of the set, showcasing greater consistency than her opponent to claim three straight games and build a 3-0 lead. Though Chwalinska briefly pulled back a game to cut the deficit, Andreeva held firm, showing impressive mental mettle for a player of her age to retain her advantage. She quickly closed in on the set, and though Chwalinska refused to surrender easily — holding serve to make it 5-1 before breaking Andreeva when she served for the set — the young Russian would not be denied. She closed out the set in the very next game, and carried her momentum through the second set to claim the historic win.
When the winning backhand flew past Chwalinska, Andreeva collapsed to her knees in celebration, surpassing a milestone set by her own coach: former top player Conchita Martinez, who finished as Roland Garros runner-up in 2000. That 2000 final was won by Mary Pierce, who was in attendance for Saturday’s trophy ceremony — a detail Andreeva highlighted in a playful quip, saying “I don’t know if I should thank you, Mary, as you beat my coach here in the final. But I’m joking of course, thank you so much!”