Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva defeated Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 in the French Open final on Saturday, securing her first Grand Slam title. At 19, Andreeva is the youngest champion at Roland Garros in more than 30 years.
During the trophy ceremony, Andreeva praised Chwalinska as a "tricky opponent" she wouldn't want to face again, but expressed hope for many future finals between them.
Andreeva thanked her team, including coach Conchita Martinez, a former French Open runner-up. She acknowledged her own challenging nature but credited her team for pushing her. She also gave special thanks to her parents, with her father watching on TV.
"Last but not least, I want to thank myself for believing and always giving my 100 per cent," Andreeva said. "Only I know how tough it was, how nervous I was."
Chwalinska, 24, congratulated Andreeva, calling her "an incredible player, so young and so talented." She apologized for her straight-sets loss, saying, "Mirra is too good."