Mirra Andreeva marches to French Open title and it should be the first of many

Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of Maja Chwalinska v Mirra Andreeva in the women’s French Open final.

What a tantalising match-up this promises to be. Poland’s Chwalinksa, the world number 114 has stunned Roland Garros these past two weeks after coming through qualifying and is one win away from a fairytale triumph.

If she succeeds, she will write her name into the history books by becoming only the second qualifier in the Open Era to win a major after Emma Raducanu’s 2021 US Open victory. It would also provide a fitting ending to a French Open that has been defined by chaos and shock results.

Less than a week ago, Chwalinska was jokingly asking for help paying for a hotel room, but as she sank onto the red brick dust of Philippe-Chatrier after clinching a place in the final, she tripled her career earnings during her time in the French capital.

“Let’s not pretend someone expected it,” she said after her 7-6, 6-4 semi-final win over Diana Shnaider. “I was outside the top 100, and now I’m in the finals of a grand slam, so I feel like it’s a big thing. So it’s hard to process it.”

But 19-year-old Andreeva, the world number eight, stands in the Pole’s way. Should the in-form teenager come out on top this afternoon, she will be the first Russian to win a major since her country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

A semi-finalist at Roland Garros two years ago, Andreeva would also become the third-youngest first-time Grand Slam champion this century, after Maria Sharapova and Raducanu.

Her first Grand Slam appearance was always going to come sooner rather than later. Ever since she burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old and reached the Wimbledon fourth round, Andreeva has been one of the brightest young stars in the sport.

However this one pans out it promises to be an intriguing contest between a player who has emerged from relative obscurity or an established teenage star who seems born for the big stage.