Mirra Andreeva had lived the moment of lifting her maiden Grand Slam trophy in her dreams many times, but it felt even better in real life when she won the French Open on Saturday.
Ther Russian teenager produced a dominant performance to beat Poland’s Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 and win the French Open title. At 19, she became the youngest champion at Roland Garros in more than 30 years and the first teenager to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since Iga Swiatek in 2020.
Speaking after her victory, Andreeva said she had imagined this moment many times before.
“To be honest, I’ve visualised this a lot. Not just during this tournament, but for a long time. I’ve often thought about how, when and where I might win a Grand Slam,” she said.
“But the feeling in real life is much better than anything I imagined. Looking at the trophy and realising that I’m actually a Grand Slam champion feels incredible.”
Andreeva admitted that winning her first Grand Slam in Paris made the achievement even more special.
“I always felt that whichever Grand Slam came first, I would be happy. But I’m especially glad it happened in Paris because I love playing on clay. I’ve spent most of my life playing on this surface and I even speak a little French. It feels like the perfect place for me to win my first major title.”
Despite celebrating the biggest win of her career, Andreeva said her focus was already shifting to the grass-court season, with Wimbledon beginning on June 29.
“These feelings are very special, but I’m already thinking about how to prepare for the grass season and the upcoming tournaments,” she said.
“Winning a Grand Slam is a bit addictive. I want to work hard and experience this feeling again.”
Andreeva also praised her coach, Conchita Martinez, with whom she has worked since 2024. She said sharing her first Grand Slam title with the former Wimbledon champion made the moment even more meaningful.
“It’s very special to win my first Grand Slam with Conchita. We’ve worked extremely hard together, both on and off the court. We’ve shared a lot of great moments and also gone through some difficult times, especially towards the end of last year.”
“The best part was hearing her say she was proud of me. Those words meant a lot.”
