Mirra Andreeva produced the most accomplished performance of her young career on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Thursday, dismantling Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 24 minutes to become the youngest French Open finalist since Martina Hingis in 1997. At 19 years and one month, the Russian will face the winner of Friday’s semi-final between Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff for her first Grand Slam title.
Andreeva broke Kostyuk’s serve five times, won 78% of points behind her own first delivery and committed just 14 unforced errors against 28 winners. The 24-year-old Kostyuk, playing in her first Grand Slam semi-final, was reduced to chasing shadows in the closing stages as Andreeva mixed heavy topspin from the baseline with the drop shots and angled forehands that have become the signature of her game under coach Conchita Martinez.
A semi-final settled inside 25 minutes
The match was effectively decided in the opening set, which Andreeva claimed in 38 minutes after breaking Kostyuk in the third and seventh games. The Ukrainian, seeded 14th, had arrived in Paris on the back of a clay-court swing that included a semi-final in Madrid and a quarter-final in Rome, but she struggled to find rhythm against an opponent who refused to give her any pace to work with.
Kostyuk’s first-serve percentage collapsed to 51% in the opening set and Andreeva punished every second delivery, attacking the Kostyuk backhand and drawing errors with sliced returns that stayed low on the Chatrier clay. When Andreeva broke for a 5-2 lead with a forehand winner down the line, she had won 16 of the previous 20 points.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Kostyuk saved two break points in her opening service game but was broken in the fourth, and although she briefly threatened to mount a comeback when she broke back at 3-2, Andreeva responded immediately. The Russian won the next three games to seal the match, finishing with a backhand pass that left Kostyuk shaking her head at the net.
“I knew I had to be aggressive from the first point,” Andreeva said on court. “Marta is a very tough opponent and I have a lot of respect for her. I just tried to play my tennis and not think about what was at stake.”
The youngest finalist in a generation
Andreeva’s run to the final continues a remarkable trajectory that began two years ago when she reached the third round at Roland Garros as a 16-year-old qualifier. She has now beaten three top-10 players this fortnight, including world number three Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals, and has not dropped a set in her last four matches.
The numbers underline how rare her achievement is. Only four teenagers have reached the Roland Garros women’s singles final this century:
- Kim Clijsters, 2001 (aged 17)
- Justine Henin, 2001 (aged 19)
- Ana Ivanovic, 2007 (aged 19)
- Iga Swiatek, 2020 (aged 19)
Three of those four went on to win the title. Andreeva, who turned 19 in April, will hope to add her name to that list. Her partnership with Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion who began coaching her last summer, has been credited with adding tactical variety and emotional control to a game that was already technically advanced.
What it means for the political backdrop
The semi-final carried weight beyond the scoreline. Kostyuk, a vocal critic of the war in Ukraine, has consistently refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players at the net, and Thursday’s exchange was no exception. The two shared only a brief tap of rackets before walking to their chairs, a gesture the Ukrainian has maintained throughout her career on tour.
Andreeva, who lives and trains in Cannes and competes under a neutral flag, has navigated the issue with caution throughout the tournament, declining to be drawn into political questions in her press conferences. She did, however, acknowledge Kostyuk’s stance after the match, saying she understood and respected her opponent’s position.
The Russian’s reward is a final against either the four-time champion Swiatek or the 2025 Australian Open winner Gauff, both of whom have already beaten her this season. Andreeva lost to Swiatek in straight sets in the Madrid quarter-finals six weeks ago and was outhit by Gauff in Rome, but she insisted on Thursday that she would arrive on Saturday with no fear.
“I have nothing to lose,” she said. “Two years ago I was watching this final on TV. Now I am playing it. Whatever happens, this week has already changed everything for me.”
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
125 articles published
