World News
Mirra Andreeva marches to French Open title and it should be the first of many
Key Points
Mirra Andreeva held her nerve against the unpredictability of qualifier Maja Chwalinska and the windy conditions to become the first Russian woman to win a grand slam since Maria Sharapova in 2014. The match itself might not be one for the ages. In fact, it felt at times like there had not been a slower one since the days of wooden rackets, but it was no less intriguing nor interesting, as Andreeva won 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 22 minutes.
Mirra Andreeva held her nerve against the unpredictability of qualifier Maja Chwalinska and the windy conditions to become the first Russian woman to win a grand slam since Maria Sharapova in 2014.
The match itself might not be one for the ages. In fact, it felt at times like there had not been a slower one since the days of wooden rackets, but it was no less intriguing nor interesting, as Andreeva won 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 22 minutes.
As Andreeva sunk to her knees and covered her face in celebration before running up the stairs and into her box, she had managed to achieve what she had been tipped to do since she won her first tour match as a 15-year-old. Now she stands as the youngest French Open champion since Monica Seles in 1992 – and she will be tipped to win many more grand slam titles.
Andreeva is also the first Russian, male or female, to win a grand slam since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Chwalinska’s fairytale route to the final captured the imagination, having been a 500-1 outsider at the start of the tournament. The Polish player, who is the daughter of a coal miner and had to put out a public plea for help paying her hotel bill, became only the second qualifier in history to reach a final after Emma Raducanu.