Teenager Andreeva beats Kostyuk to reach French Open final

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva has advanced to her first Grand Slam final, achieving this milestone at the French Open with a decisive victory over Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk. Andreeva, who was a semi-finalist in 2024, displayed a dominant performance, winning 6-1, 6-3. She now awaits the winner of the match between her compatriot Diana Shnaider and Poland's Maja Chwalinska in Saturday's final.

At 19 years old, Andreeva is the fourth-youngest woman to reach the Roland Garros final in the past three decades, following in the footsteps of notable players like Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, and Coco Gauff. If she wins the final, Andreeva would become the third-youngest player to win a Grand Slam title for the first time this century, after Maria Sharapova and Emma Raducanu.

The match was played under the shadow of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that Marta Kostyuk has consistently denounced. Kostyuk has also been critical of Russian athletes who have remained silent on the war. In line with the stance adopted by Ukrainian players, Kostyuk did not participate in a pre-match photo with Andreeva, and the players did not shake hands after the match concluded.

Andreeva, considered a rising star, is the first player born after 2005 to reach a major singles final. This marks her second semi-final appearance at Roland Garros, having previously lost in 2024. Despite Kostyuk's strong form this season, including a 17-match winning streak on clay, Andreeva has been the most dominant player on the surface in 2026, with 21 clay-court wins and 35 overall. Following the early exit of world number one Aryna Sabalenka, Andreeva, the eighth seed, is now considered a favorite to win the title.