Saturday 06 / June / 2026
PARIS: Mirra Andreeva’s ascension up the ranks of women’s tennis has been rapid in the last few years. Now the world No. 8 is a Grand Slam champion at the age of 19.
The Russian teenager became the youngest Roland Garros champion since Monica Seles in 1992 (at age 18) when she dominated Polish qualifier Maja Chwalińska, 6-3, 6-2 to win the title. She dropped only one set en route to the title. Aged 19 years and 39 days, Andreeva is also the first teenager to win the French Open women’s singles title since Iga Swiatek in 2020.
Andreeva managed the windy conditions well, mixing a strong serve with a forehand slice and even some moon balls.
Appearing in her first major final, Andreeva was the first teenager to reach the Roland Garros final since Coco Gauff in 2022. She was the first player born after 2005 to reach a major final (men or women).
She will take home $3.25 million with the trophy, while Chwalińska, the daughter of an electrician in a coal mine and a receptionist at a sports facility, doubled her career prize money and takes home $1.624 million.
Andreeva is the sixth straight different major winner in the last six majors, and the third straight different champion at Roland Garros. Chwalinska was the lowest-ranked women’s finalist ever at Roland Garros. Perhaps worn out from her run to the final, she wasn’t able to put up much of a fight.
Andreeva fell behind 2-3 in the first set but proceeded to reel off four straight games, winning the set with a wicked crosscourt backhand winner to break for 6-3.
She converted 4-of-7 break chances in the first set, hitting 14 winners to 12 unforced errors.
In the second set, Andreeva held from 0-40 down to go ahead 3-0.
Serving for the match at 5-0, she was broken, snapping a streak of nine straight games. On triple match point, she broke with a backhand winner and then fell to the court on her knees.
This marks the first time since 1977 that no previous major champion has made the semis in either the men’s or women’s draw.
In 2021, Chwalinska announced that “she had been suffering with depression for over 18 months and was stepping away from the court.”
“I pushed at the beginning. I thought that I just needed to stay very strong, tough, and just keep practicing,” Chwalinska told reporters in Paris.
“But then I just couldn’t get out of bed anymore. I was just lifeless, to be honest. I knew that I needed to take a break, because otherwise I’m just not able to live,” she added.
“I honestly didn’t know if I’m gonna come back or not. After, like, months, I decided to come back. I needed to figure out a few things in my head, I would say. And I came back. I’m happy that I did.”
Men’s doubles winner
Top seeds Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina claimed the French Open men’s doubles title after defeating Great Britain’s Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara 6-4, 6-2.
Second seeds Patten, 30, and Heliovaara, 37, were aiming to win a third Grand Slam title together as a partnership, following previous victories at Wimbledon in 2024 and the 2025 Australian Open.
They had reached their first French Open final without dropping a set, but Patten conceded afterwards that it was a “tough day” for the duo as Granollers, 40, and Zeballos, 41, successfully defended their title in one hour and 16 minutes. Patten would have become the first Briton to claim the men’s doubles title in Paris during the Open era had he and Heliovaara triumphed.
However, they have the consolation of jointly becoming world No.1 when the rankings update on Monday. - Agencies
