Andreeva has lived up to expectations ever since her breakthrough on the WTA Tour at the 2023 Madrid Open. There, her talent and bravery earned her praise from Britain’s former world number one Andy Murray.
It felt like only a matter of time before she won one of the sport’s biggest awards, but developing a game with thorough research and dealing with the hype can take time.
Andreeva, who was born in Siberia and trained in France, continued to improve under coach Martinez, reaching the semifinals of the 2024 French Open.
In her court speech, she thanked Martinez for “sharing his experiences and giving me a lot of advice” during the two years she worked with him.
Andreeva continued to make great strides in 2025, winning two WTA 1000 titles and ranking in the world’s top five.
Her fierce streak on the court often served as a reminder of her childhood, but she showed real maturity in Paris as she navigated the tough challenges that come with winning a Grand Slam.
What was particularly impressive was her calm demeanor in defeating Ukrainian 15th seed Marta Koschuk in the semifinals, which were played amidst political tension.
Handling the situation was also important in ultimately lifting the trophy.
Andreeva may have been the favorite based on ranking and pedigree, but Chwalinska proved to be a tricky opponent who played with real variety.
Andreeva didn’t let that overwhelm her and eventually found her rhythm and baseline range to overwhelm her increasingly frustrated opponent.
Once she took a lead in the second set, her place in the list of illustrious Grand Slam champions was never in doubt.
