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Mirra Andreeva, a 19-year-old Russian tennis pro, won her first Grand Slam title on Saturday, defeating Maja Chwalinska to win the French Open.
Andreeva won in two sets, 6-3, 6-2, over the 114th-ranked Polish qualifier. Andreeva became the youngest player to win the women’s singles title since Monica Seles, who was 18 when she won her third straight French Open in 1992.
She also became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova won the 2014 French Open and became the first teenager to win a Grand Slam title since Coco Gauff did so at the 2023 U.S. Open, when she was 19.
Andreeva also became the first male or female tennis player born in 2005 to reach and win a Grand Slam title.
When Andreeva executed a backhand cross-court winner on her first match point, the Russian dropped to her knees on the clay to celebrate.
“You’re so young and talented. It’s so annoying,” Chwalinska told Andreeva during the awards ceremony.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Andreeva thanked herself for fighting “so many demons” during her title run at the awards ceremony.
“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,” Andreeva said.
“Only I know how tough it was for me,” Andreeva added. “How nervous I was throughout these two weeks.”
The match was tied 3-3 in the first set, but Andreeva then won 20 of the next 21 points to win the set and take control of the match.
Chwalinska was attempting to become the first qualifier to capture the Roland Garros title.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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