Mirra Andreeva shone brilliantly under the early Saturday evening in Paris, clutching the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen like a symbol of destiny. The youngest Roland Garros champion since Monica Seles 34 years ago, the 19-year-old has announced herself as the next big star in women’s tennis. And with her meteoric rise in the WTA Tour, 4-time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters now predicts a thrilling future for the prodigious Russian.

Speaking on her “Love All Podcast”, when tennis reporter Blair Henley asked the former world No. 1 whether the pressure on Mirra Andreeva would increase or decrease after her Grand Slam success, Kim offered an insightful take. “I think it will free her up, but I do also think just by going off her reaction, she looks so motivated to be like, ‘All right, bring on the next one. Like, I’m ready now.’ Like that,” Kim added.

The 43-year-old later added, “To me, that’s almost a feeling I had. And she looked so composed for somebody who we’ve seen being so emotional on the court.” For the 19-year-old Andreeva, a world number one in juniors, Grand Slam success has long been expected.

However, she has sometimes been hindered by emotional outbursts on court that distracted her from the match in front of her.

Even last year, Andreeva erupted during her French Open QF defeat to home hope Lois Boisson in front of a partisan crowd. She also smashed a racquet and swore at the crowd at Indian Wells just a few months ago where she could not defend her title.

That kind of behaviour, however, was absent at this year’s Roland Garros.

Even in the final, when her opponent, Maja Chwalinska’s unpredictability combined with blustery conditions, Andreeva maintained remarkable composure and delivered a mature performance.

Reflecting on her run, Andreeva told WTA, “I think right now I’m playing the best tennis of my career, obviously. I would say these are the best results I have had so far since turning pro. I would also say that winning Dubai and Indian Wells on hard court before this happened was the highlight of my career. Now I’ve won a Grand Slam title, so yes, I would say maybe this is the best tennis I have played so far.”

And Clijsters’ admiration for the former world No. 5 has remained consistent, dating back to her praise following Andreeva’s Linz Open campaign a couple of months ago. “[Mirra] Andreeva, with the way she was playing too, just a very mature tournament that she played,” Clijsters said during her podcast back in April.

“To see her mentally being positive and enjoying herself out there is good to see, and she is somebody who can cause some damage at the French Open.” That prediction proved spot on as Andreeva captured the title. 

And with the trophy in hand, the young Russian did not forget to acknowledge one of the main people behind her success.

Andreeva credits Conchita Martínez for her Roland Garros success

The 1st person Andreeva ran to hug after her French Open win on Court Philippe Chatrier was her coach Conchita Martínez. A SW19 winner in 1994, Martinez has guided all 5 of Andreeva’s WTA Tour title triumphs since joining her team in 2024.

The bond between the 19-year-old and her coach is so strong that Andreeva jokingly aimed a dig at Mary Pierce, the former player who beat Martinez in the 2000 French Open final, while presenting her with the trophy. Off the practice courts and gym, the pair share pranks and even endless games of Uno.

Andreeva was seen cheering Martinez on during an invitational match at Wimbledon last year, wearing a tennis-themed straw hat and holding a homemade “Let’s go Senorita” sign.

“We’ve been through so many good moments and some bad moments, especially at the end of last year,” Andreeva said post match, reflecting on her struggles for form after reaching the QF at SW19 last season. “She told me she’s very proud of me. To hear those words from her is very, very special to me.”

The player-coach connection is clearly built on trust, guidance, and fun, which has fueled Andreeva’s rapid rise.

And now, as her grass-court season approaches, fans are left wondering how she will perform at the upcoming Slam at the All-England Club.