Mirra Andreeva. The Russian eighth seed. Secured her first Grand Slam title at the French Open with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Maja Chwalinska, a Polish qualifier who was a 500-1 outsider before the tournament. Andreeva, 19, became the youngest woman to win the Roland Garros title since Monica Seles in 1992 — the match lasted one hour and 22 minutes, with Andreeva celebrating by falling to the court before embracing her coach, Conchita Martinez.

Andreeva’s Rise to Grand Slam Glory

Andreeva, who was born in Siberia and trained in France, has been a standout since her WTA Tour breakthrough at the 2023 Madrid Open; her talent and fearlessness earned praise from former world number one Andy Murray. After reaching the French Open semi-finals in 2024, Andreeva continued to improve under Martinez’s guidance and made significant strides in 2025 by winning two WTA 1000 titles and entering the world’s top five.

Andreeva’s victory in Paris showcased her maturity and composure under pressure. Despite a tense start. Where nerves and wind led to four successive breaks of serve, Andreeva managed to reel off nine consecutive games to take a commanding 6-3 5-0 lead. She then overcame a challenge when she failed to serve out victory at the first attempt but eventually secured her first championship point with a backhand winner.

Chwalinska’s Near-History in Paris

Maja Chwalinska, ranked 114th in the world, had a significant few weeks in Paris. Although she did not win the French Open, Chwalinska’s performance was historic as she became the first qualifier to reach the final since Britain’s Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open. Chwalinska admitted that Andreeva was too strong for her, joking, “I wish you could see a better match today, but Mirra was too good for me, I guess it is her fault!”

Chwalinska, who had only won two of her previous 14 Grand Slam qualifying attempts, earned 1.4m euros (£1.2m) in prize money, tripling her career earnings; she will also climb to a career-high ranking of 21st in the world and hopes to secure a wildcard into the Wimbledon main draw. Despite the defeat, Chwalinska said Paris will remain with her forever, stating, “I will not forget these three weeks. Paris will stay forever with me in my heart.”

Historic and Emotional Moments

During the trophy presentation, Andreeva took the unusual step of thanking herself for her belief in her abilities and hard work. She acknowledged the challenges she faced, saying, “Only I know how tough it was for me. How nervous I was throughout these two weeks.” Andreeva also received loud applause for speaking a few words of French during the presentation, thanking the crowd for their support.

Andreeva’s victory in Paris was not without controversy, as Ukrainian 15th seed Marta Kostyuk refused to shake her hand after their semi-final match, a practice common for Ukrainian players facing Russians since the war with Ukraine began in 2022. Andreeva’s coach, Conchita Martinez, had previously lost the 2000 French Open final to Mary Pierce, who presented the winner’s trophy to Andreeva.

Andreeva’s win came under mostly sunny skies, with wind playing a role in the first Grand Slam final for both players. Chwalinska managed to hold serve in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead but ultimately could not overcome Andreeva’s dominance from the baseline. Andreeva’s backhand cross-court winner on her first match point led to a dramatic celebration as she threw her racket into the air and dropped to her knees on the clay court.