Andreeva beats Chwalinska to win French Open title

Mirra Andreeva became the youngest French Open champion in over three decades on Saturday as she swept aside surprise finalist Maja Chwalinska 6-3 6-2 on a blustery Court Philippe Chatrier, where the Pole appeared frozen by the magnitude of the occasion.

The 19-year-old Russian, the youngest Roland Garros women’s singles winner since Monica Seles won her third straight title in 1992 aged 18, overcame a jittery start to claim her maiden Grand Slam crown, growing in authority as the match wore on while Chwalinska struggled to settle on the big stage.

The world number 114 had captivated Roland Garros with her tactical intelligence and fearless variety in a nine-match winning run that began in qualifying but the magic deserted her in the final despite the support of hundreds of Polish fans.

On a court that suddenly seemed vast and unforgiving, Chwalinska looked a shadow of the player who had outmanoeuvred opponent after opponent to reach the championship match.

As eighth seed Andreeva's groundstrokes found their range and her confidence swelled, Chwalinska's touch deserted her.

The Pole's trademark drop shots and changes of pace yielded diminishing returns, and the Russian teenager seized control to complete a breakthrough triumph that confirmed her arrival among the game's elite.

The opening set was a nervous affair, with both players struggling to settle under the pressure of a Grand Slam final.

Chwalinska, only the second female player since tennis turned professional in 1968 to make it to a Grand Slam final after Britain's Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open, survived a marathon opening service game in which she saved three break points with a combination of deft drop shots and fearless forehand winners but neither player could establish control.

Breaks were exchanged repeatedly as errors flowed from both rackets, Andreeva contributing two double faults in one service game while Chwalinska's forehand repeatedly misfired.

At 3-3, however, the balance shifted decisively.

Andreeva began finding greater depth and weight on her heavy groundstrokes, forcing Chwalinska onto the defensive and drawing errors from the Pole's racket.

The Russian broke for 4-3 when Chwalinska netted a sliced backhand, consolidated for 5-3 and then pounced on a nervy final service game to wrap up the set.

Andreeva then broke to go 2-0 up after yet another unforced forehand error from Chwalinska, who wasted three break points and dropped serve again to fall 4-0 behind.

Chwalinska pulled a break back and rallied to 5-2 down, only for Andreeva, the first teenager to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since Iga Swiatek in 2020, to seal victoryand the title on her opponent's serve with a crosscourt backhand winner.