Salut! The teenage prodigy versus the 24-year-old qualifier and 500-1 outsider; as paths to a first Grand Slam final go, Mirra Andreeva’s and Maja Chwalinska’s could not be more different.
Andreeva’s Rise
Andreeva burst onto the WTA Tour as the most precocious of 15-year-olds in 2023, before reaching the French Open semi-finals in 2024. She has long been tipped for major glory. Now, aged 19, the Russian appears to be finding the temperament to add to her tremendous talents and take that final step.
Chwalinska’s Journey
Chwalinska moved through the junior ranks in Poland with Iga Swiatek but struggled to break through as a professional. After failing to qualify for Wimbledon in 2021, she took an indefinite break from tennis because of depression. “I pushed at the beginning, but then I just couldn’t get out of bed any more,” she says. “I was lifeless. I knew I needed to take a break. I honestly didn’t know if I was going to come back.”
When she felt strong enough to return, she qualified for her first ever Grand Slam, winning one round at Wimbledon in 2022. That was her only match victory at a major before this incredible and improbable stroll in Paris, which started in qualifying 19 days ago. Nine victories and just one dropped set later, Emma Raducanu’s tag as the only qualifier to have won a Slam is under threat. The only stress for Chwalinska was how she would pay her hotel bill in the early rounds – not a problem now that she is guaranteed at least £1.2 million for reaching the final.
Playing Styles
What has made the diminutive Chwalinska’s run even more entertaining is the way in which she has done it, with her craft and cunning confounding her more powerful opponents. She offers a throwback in a sport dominated by huge hitters. But the problem for Chwalinska today is that Andreeva is not only able to hit the ball hard – she marries that with huge variety and boasts one of the highest tennis IQs. In Andreeva, Chwalinska is facing a far more accomplished version of herself.
The Challenge for Andreeva
It means the toughest battle for Andreeva today could lie on her own side of the net: can she maintain her newfound emotional equilibrium and deal with being the standout favourite in the biggest match of her life? It is going to be fun finding out.
La finale commence: 15h à Paris/2pm UK. Restez à l’affût!
