Day 12 at Roland Garros belonged to two young women putting their own stamp on Grand Slam history. Under the roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier, 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva and 24-year-old qualifier Maja Chwalinska produced impressive performances in the women’s semifinals to set up an intriguing final on Saturday. The day continued a wildly unpredictable fortnight that has already seen numerous upsets, and will see a first-time major champion in the women’s draw.
Eighth seed Mirra Andreeva delivered one of the most complete performances of the tournament, dismantling 15th seed Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 in just over an hour. The Russian teenager was clinical from the opening points, using sharp angles, precise passing shots, and baseline pressure to snap Kostyuk’s 17-match winning streak on clay this season. It was sweet revenge for her loss to the Ukrainian in the Madrid final last month.
Embed from Getty Images“I’m just super happy with the way I played today,” Andreeva said afterward. “Then I’m happy I got revenge from the Madrid final, then I’m happy as well that I’m in my first Grand Slam final. All of these feelings have combined.”
Andreeva admitted she felt significant pressure coming into the match given Kostyuk’s exceptional form. “I was very nervous coming into this match. Obviously, she’s had an amazing season. Until this match, she hadn’t lost a match on clay. That brought a lot of pressure.” She also navigated tricky conditions, noting, “The conditions were really tough today. I couldn’t understand which direction the wind was going, but I’m just happy I was able to stay focused. Today was one of those days where anything could happen.”
Embed from Getty ImagesKostyuk, who had dedicated her run to the people of Ukraine amid ongoing challenges back home, struggled to find her rhythm against Andreeva’s consistency. The Ukrainian showed flashes of her powerful game but was repeatedly undone by unforced errors and Andreeva’s superior court coverage. Andreeva becomes the youngest women’s singles finalist at Roland Garros since Coco Gauff in 2022.
In the second semifinal, unheralded Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska continued her extraordinary run by defeating 25th seed Diana Shnaider 7-6(4), 6-4. The world No.114, who had to come through qualifying just to reach the main draw, showed remarkable composure under pressure to reach her first Grand Slam final. It marks the first time a qualifier has reached the French Open women’s final in the Open era.
Embed from Getty Images“It feels like a dream, honestly. I don’t know what’s going on,” a tearful Chwalinska said. “I don’t know what to say, I’m sorry. I’m just very happy.”
Chwalinska admitted there was a lot going on inside her head despite her calm exterior. “I don’t know, I’m crazy sometimes also. But I mean, I try to stay composed because I know that it’s the best way for me. It helps me to play my best tennis. So that’s what I’m trying to do, but inside there is a storm, believe me.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe match against Shnaider — who had upset world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the previous round — was a tense battle of left-handers featuring clever angles, drop shots, and extended rallies. Chwalinska saved break points at crucial moments in the first set and took the tiebreak after a strong finish. In the second set, despite some physical discomfort that required attention, she broke decisively late to close out the victory.
Both finalists obviously come into the final in amazing form. Andreeva has dropped just one set all tournament and has looked increasingly mature under pressure, benefiting from her partnership with coach Conchita Martinez. Chwalinska, ranked outside the top 100 coming into the event, has now won eight matches in Paris, including victories over several seeded players. She is looking to emulate the run of Emma Raducanu who famously won the US Open as a qualifier. Her ability to remain mentally steady while continuing to play high-level tennis day after day has been remarkable.
For Andreeva and Chwalinska, Saturday’s final represents uncharted territory. The winner will likely be the player who can keep the nerves under control, while lifting their tennis to a Major final level. Will Andreeva feel the pressure of being an overwhelming favourite at age 19? Will Chwalinska freeze up on the biggest stage of all, or will she have a nothing to lose attitude?
Either way, a new name will be etched onto the trophy, which is exciting for all tennis fans.
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