Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-1, 6-3 in a tense encounter at the French Open, according to Al Jazeera. Andreeva converted her first match point when she served for the tennis match on Thursday.

There was no post-match handshake between the pair, however, and Kostyuk walked off quickly, turning only to wave and blow kisses to the crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier, where some fans were draped in Ukrainian flags. The atmosphere beforehand was somewhat tense as the players had separate photos taken as they each stood next to two children on their respective sides of the net. Usually, the players pose for the same photo, standing right next to each other by the net.

Impact of War on Players

Kostyuk and countrywoman Oleksandra Oliynykova have spoken out during the tournament about the impact Russia’s four-year invasion of Ukraine is having on their country. The eighth seed seized control from the outset and never loosened her grip on the contest, overwhelming Kostyuk with her depth and aggression on Court Philippe-Chatrier to set up a title clash against compatriot Diana Shnaider or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.

Andreeva, 19, raced into a 4-0 lead in the opening set and barely looked back in the third meeting between the two players, the Ukrainian having won the first two. Kostyuk briefly threatened to make a contest of it in the second set, but the Russian swiftly snuffed out any hopes of a comeback before serving out the match to complete a dominant display.

Andreeva’s Emotional Victory

“I’m still very nervous. Very nervous coming to this match as she’s had an amazing season, she hadn’t lost on clay, so that put pressure,” said Andreeva. “She’s an amazing player. A tough opponent. So I’m super happy with the way I played; I’m happy I got revenge for the Madrid final, and to reach my first Grand Slam final. All of these feelings combined. I’ve never felt anything like this — I’m very excited about the last match here in Paris.”.

Top-seeded Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori of Italy won the mixed doubles final earlier Thursday, beating Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Evan King of the US 4-6, 6-3, 10-4. An Italian is guaranteed to be in Sunday’s men’s French Open singles final, with Flavio Cobolli facing fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Friday in the first Grand Slam semifinal for both players.

Historical Context and Significance

A beaten semi-finalist in 2024, Andreeva was hugely impressive throughout her 6-1 6-3 victory and will await compatriot Diana Shnaider, the 25th seed, or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in Saturday’s final. The 19-year-old is third-youngest woman to reach the Roland Garros showpiece this century, after an 18-year-old Coco Gauff in 2022 and 17-year-old Kim Clijsters in 2001.

Should she prevail, Andreeva would become the third-youngest first-time Grand Slam champion this century, after Maria Sharapova and Emma Raducanu. “I am still very, very nervous. I was nervous coming into this match,” Andreeva said. “All of these feelings combined, it is amazing – I have never felt anything like this before.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine provided an unavoidable backdrop to the contest, with Kostyuk regularly denouncing the war since it began in February 2022 – and being highly critical of athletes from Russia who have failed to do so. In keeping with the stance taken by Ukrainian players over the past four years, Kostyuk did not take a pre-match photo with Andreeva, and the players did not shake hands afterwards.

Andreeva is only at the start of her career – and this victory means she is the first player born since 2005 to reach a major singles final. However, she has long been tipped for Grand Slam success, with this her second semi-final appearance at Roland Garros after a loss in 2024. On that occasion two years ago, an unseeded 17-year-old Andreeva, then the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis at the 1997 US Open, was visibly emotional as the match ran away from her.

This in contrast, was a performance marked by maturity. Even when Kostyuk briefly threatened a fightback by breaking back in the second set, Andreeva reset and won back-to-back games to close out the match after 76 minutes. That was all the more impressive given Kostyuk is the in-form player on the WTA Tour, boasting an unrivalled 17-match unbeaten streak on the clay this season.

But no player has amassed more wins on clay (21) – or indeed overall (35) – than Andreeva in 2026. Now, following the shock exit of world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday, the eighth seed will believe this is her time after overcoming an opponent who had beaten her in straight sets in both their previous meetings this year.

Despite the blustery conditions, Andreeva was solid from the baseline and stubborn in defence – committing far fewer unforced errors (22) than her opponent (34), who was unable to hit the heights of her emotional all-Ukrainian quarter-final against Elina Svitolina. She withstood break points in her opening service game as she raced into a 4-0 lead, and might have wrapped up the set sooner had Kostyuk not managed to escape five break points in the fifth game.

Holding her nerve to come through an early break point in the second set, Andreeva maintained her composure and executed her game plan effectively, leading to a decisive victory that marks a significant milestone in her young career. Her performance at the French Open demonstrates her potential to become a formidable force in the tennis world.