Andreeva sweeps past Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 to reach first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros

A one-sided semi-final

Mirra Andreeva produced a composed and dominant performance to reach her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, defeating Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and 16 minutes. The 19-year-old Russian, ranked eighth in the world, broke early in both sets and never let her opponent settle. Kostyuk, appearing in her first major semi-final, looked nervous throughout and committed 34 unforced errors.

Andreeva raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set before Kostyuk finally held serve after 25 minutes and five break points saved. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Andreeva breaking immediately. Kostyuk rallied briefly, winning three consecutive games to level at 3-3, but Andreeva responded by breaking again and closing out the match on her first match point.

I was very nervous before this match. She has had a superb season. I am super happy with how I played today, to have taken my revenge for the Madrid final and to be playing my first Grand Slam final.

Kostyuk's perfect clay season ends

Kostyuk entered the semi-final with a 16-0 record on clay in 2026, the best on the WTA tour. The defeat was her first on the surface this year. She had been bidding to become the first Ukrainian player ever to reach a Grand Slam singles final. Andreeva, by contrast, now holds a 35-match win tally for the season, more than any other player on tour, and a 21-3 record on clay.

The match also served as a rematch of the Madrid WTA 1000 final in early May, which Kostyuk won. Andreeva acknowledged the revenge factor on court afterward.

All these feelings, it's incredible, I have never felt anything like this before.

The Russia-Ukraine backdrop

This was the highest-profile meeting between a Russian and a Ukrainian player since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. As expected, Kostyuk did not shake hands with Andreeva at the net, continuing the protest Ukrainian players have maintained throughout the war. The two players also posed separately for photos with the child mascots during the coin toss.

Kostyuk had spoken emotionally throughout the tournament about the war's impact on her family. On the morning of her first-round match, she learned that a Russian missile had struck approximately 100 metres from her family home, where her mother, sister and great aunt were staying. She showed journalists a photo of the destruction on her phone and said she tries, whenever possible, to remind people of the daily horrors facing those in her homeland.

I wish there was some more clear stance on what's going on, especially when your country is killing other people. I don't know how you can sleep at night peacefully when you know that this is going on, and you have nothing to say about it.

What comes next

Andreeva will face the winner of the second semi-final between her compatriot Diana Shnaider (22, WTA 23) and Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska (24, WTA 114) in Saturday's final. Both are Grand Slam semi-final debutants. The women's draw has opened up after Aryna Sabalenka's shock defeat to Shnaider on Wednesday, guaranteeing a first-time major champion.

Andreeva is attempting to become the third-youngest first-time Grand Slam champion this century, behind only 17-year-old Maria Sharapova and 18-year-old Emma Raducanu. She is the youngest finalist at a major since Coco Gauff reached the Roland Garros final in 2022. This is the first time in 49 years that neither the men's nor women's semi-finals at Roland Garros feature a previous Grand Slam champion.