Mirra Andreeva heals old injuries, takes down Marta Kostyuk to reach first major final

Mirra Andreeva produced a sensational display to beat Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 to reach her first Grand Slam final at the 2026 French Open. The 19-year-old produced one of the most comprehensive performances of the tournament to avenge Kostyuk’s defeat in last month’s Madrid Open final.

The victory also marked Andreeva’s first win over a Ukrainian after losing both previous meetings without winning a set. Two years after falling to Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals of Roland Garros, Andreeva returned to the same stage and completed an unforgettable story of redemption.

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She became the fifth youngest woman to reach the French Open final in 30 years and recorded her 35th win of the season leading the tour. Remarkably, she ended Kostjuk’s 17-match unbeaten run on clay in emphatic fashion.

‘THE CONDITIONS WERE DIFFICULT’

After the match, Andreeva admitted that the windy conditions made life difficult and described the competition as unpredictable and challenging. The teenage sensation said she was focused on taking in everything that happened on court and was determined to give her best to ensure Kostyuk had to fight hard for every point.

“Yes, first of all, the conditions were very hard today. It was windy. I didn’t understand which way the wind was blowing and it was very difficult,” Andreeva said after the match.

“But I’m glad I was able to stay focused. I told myself I’ll accept everything that happened on the court today because it was one of those days where I felt like anything could happen. It was a little unpredictable.”

“I told myself that no matter what happens, I will give my best. If she ends up winning, she will have to really work for it and fight for it,” added Andreeva.

In the final, Andreeva will face the winner of the second semi-final between Diana Shnaider and Maja Chwalinska.

ANDREEVA IS NOT KOSTYUK’S EMPLOYEE

Andreeva laid the foundation for her historic victory with a near-flawless opening set that saw Kostyuk race the match from the start. The 19-year-old struck early and broke the Ukrainian’s serve in the opening game before creating one of the key moments of the set.

After going down 0-40 on her own serve, Andreeva showed remarkable composure to save three break points and stave off five consecutive points to move to 2-0. From there, the Russian teenager never looked back.

Andreeva dictated the plays from the baseline and relentlessly moved Kostyuk around the court to take a 4-0 lead in just 16 minutes. Kostyuk, who arrived undefeated on clay this season, struggled to find her rhythm as errors crept into her game.

Andreeva eventually wrapped up the set 6-1 in just 33 minutes, winning 79 percent of her first serve points and breaking twice. It was the first set she had ever won against Kostyuk, and she did it in emphatic fashion.

ANDREEVA POWERS OUT OF COSTUME

If the first set showed the brilliance of Mirra Andreeva, the second highlighted her maturity and composure under pressure. Marta Kostyuk had an opportunity to change the face of the match early in the set, but Andreeva saved break points and held firm, extending a trend that would eventually define the match. The Ukrainian could not convert any of her break chances, Andreeva repeatedly came back in the biggest moments.

The Russian teenager opened up an early 2-0 lead and continued to dictate play with her aggressive baseline play, keeping Kostyukova pinned down the court. Although the Ukrainian fought hard and managed to break back at 2-4, Andreeva refused to be swayed. In the decisive answer, she immediately broke Kostyuk’s serve again and moved to 5:3.

This proved to be a turning point. Calm, clinical and fearless, Andreeva never allowed Kostyuk to believe in a comeback, closing out a brilliant victory to reach her first Grand Slam final.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

04 Jun 2026 20:25 IST