Contrasting paths, same destination - who will win French Open final?

By

BBC Sport tennis quality newsman astatine Roland Garros

The vocation trajectories of French Open finalists Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska could not beryllium much contrasting.

Russian eighth effect Andreeva is simply a teenage sensation who earned her archetypal WTA Tour triumph arsenic a 15-year-old successful 2023, reaching the Wimbledon 4th circular conscionable 2 months later.

Becoming a Grand Slam champion has felt similar a question of when, and not if, ever since.

"I'm getting person - I'm getting a small spot much mature with each lucifer I play," said 19-year-old Andreeva.

Qualifier Chwalinska's way to Saturday's showpiece astatine Roland Garros has been little predictable.

The 24-year-old from Poland has ne'er received nonstop introduction into the main gully of a large and had lone travel done Grand Slam qualifying successful 2 of her erstwhile 14 attempts.

With small pedigree, 114th-ranked Chwalinska's breakthrough is simply a acquisition successful what tin beryllium achieved done dedication and perseverance.

"I consciousness similar I'm successful the bubble. I don't cognize what's going on. I'm conscionable precise blessed to beryllium here," said Chwalinska, who was a 500-1 outsider astatine the commencement of the tournament.

What Andreeva has achieved implicit the past fortnight is underlined by the humanities statistics.

The third-youngest Roland Garros finalist this period down 18-year-old Coco Gauff successful 2022 and 17-year-old Kim Clijsters successful 2001, Andreeva is bidding to go the youngest French Open champion since Monica Seles successful 1992.

Born successful Siberia and trained successful France, Andreeva has been touted for greatness since her breakthrough astatine the 2023 Madrid Open - wherever her endowment and fearlessness led to praise from Andy Murray.

Her advancement has accelerated since appointing erstwhile Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez arsenic her manager successful 2024.

Spain's Martinez says it was wide from the infinitesimal she started moving with Andreeva that she was a prima successful the making.

After reaching the French Open semi-finals 2 years ago, Andreeva continued to marque large strides successful 2025, winning 2 WTA 1000 titles and cracking the world's apical five.

A tempestuous streak connected the tribunal has, however, served arsenic a reminder of her tender age.

Some of her behaviour - notably swiping distant balls towards the assemblage - has travel adjacent to crossing the enactment and she combusted against location wildcard Lois Boisson successful a febrile French Open quarter-final past year.

But the calm mode successful which she powered past Ukrainian 15th effect Marta Kostyuk successful Thursday's semi-finals - a lucifer played against a backdrop of governmental hostility - was a motion of her expanding maturity.

"At immoderate points, I was listening [to Martinez], but astatine the aforesaid clip sticking to what I had been doing," said Andreeva, who has not faced a top-10 ranked opponent.

"Now I consciousness similar I wholly spot what my squad tells maine and it's easier for me. Whatever they archer me, I volition conscionable bash it."

Chwalinska's singular tally means Emma Raducanu's spot arsenic the lone qualifier to triumph a Grand Slam rubric - which the Briton achieved astatine the 2021 US Open - is nether threat.

If Chwalinska beats Andreeva, it volition fertile arsenic precocious arsenic Raducanu successful presumption of large victories that no-one saw coming.

Most of Chwalinska's vocation has been spent connected the little rungs of the nonrecreational ladder, travelling astir trying to marque ends meets.

Even aft winning her second-round lucifer successful Paris, Chwalinska feared she could not spend to wage for much nights successful her hotel.

Without sponsors of her own, a Polish institution that backs six-time large champion Iga Swiatek - a puerility person of Chwalinska - stepped successful to screen the costs.

"Let's not unreal idiosyncratic expected it. I was extracurricular the apical 100 and present I'm successful the last of a Grand Slam. It is hard to process," she said.

In 2021, Chwalinska took an indefinite interruption from tennis aft losing successful the archetypal circular of qualifying astatine Wimbledon.

Chwalinska was suffering from a slump that near her feeling lifeless and incapable to get retired of bed. She had nary thought erstwhile - oregon adjacent if - she would return.

Four months aboriginal she felt good capable to marque a comeback, but the travel to the apical has been a dilatory burner.

Chwalinska was playing tiny tournaments successful Italian cities Brescia and Bari aft losing successful French Open qualifying past year.

Now she is preparing to locomotion retired successful beforehand of 15,000 radical connected Court Philippe Chatrier, arsenic millions much ticker connected from astir the world.

"I ever truly enjoyed playing successful beforehand of people, adjacent connected the ITF circuit. I ever enjoyed tournaments wherever radical were interested," Chwalinska added.

"The signifier has changed, but honestly, I conscionable privation to win."