Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva has won her first Grand Slam title by winning the French Open final.
Andreeva, 19, beat 114th-ranked Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska by 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday.
It makes her the youngest player to win the women’s singles title since Monica Seles, who was 18 when she landed her third straight French Open in 1994.
“You’re so young and talented. It’s so annoying,” Chwalinska, 24, told Andreeva during the awards ceremony.
Chwalinska was attempting to become the first qualifier to capture the Roland Garros title.
When Andreeva executed a backhand cross-court winner on her first match point, she released her racket and dropped down onto the clay on her knees to celebrate as she covered her face with her hands.
The teenager later took the unusual step of thanking herself “for believing in myself, always giving my 100%, even when it’s tough, trying every day to be better as a person and as a player, believing that I can do this, fighting so many demons inside of me".
"Only I know how tough it was for me. How nervous I was throughout these two weeks," Andreeva said.
Andreeva also thanked her psychologist, who she said was watching from Florida:
“Everything that you’ve told me I’ve been trying to use these two weeks and I would say that it worked not bad. So thank you so much," she said.
Andreeva was born in Siberia and moved to Sochi and eventually France to develop her tennis career.
She drew a loud applause from the crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier when she spoke a few words of French during the trophy presentation.
“Thanks for your support today and over these past two marvelous weeks here in Paris. It was very important for me,” Andreeva said.
Andreeva has been considered a Grand Slam contender since she burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old at the 2023 Madrid Open, where she became the third youngest player to win a main draw match at a WTA 1000 tournament and made the quarterfinals.
