At just 19 years of age, Mirra Andreeva has already achieved what many tennis players dream about. She clinched her first Grand Slam in the 2026 French Open final, defeating Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 in 83 minutes. Turns out one of her childhood idols played a role in her triumph at Roland Garros.

“I also felt like – I watched a lot of Roger’s (Federer) matches here, and I felt like I really want to – I’m not going to have, obviously, the same aura, like ever,” she said during the post-match press conference on June 6. “No one is going to have the same aura, but I really want to try to impersonate the way he behaves a little bit on the court, because I love watching him on the court when he used to play.”

That inspiration—watching Federer’s composure—proved crucial. The Russian never let the pressure of playing at a Grand Slam get to her and appeared comfortable even during tense situations.

“Maybe that helped me a little bit, because I wanted to look good on the court, not be frustrated or be not happy with how I play. Also, for the people, it’s nice to watch how, you know, players try their best and fight and compete. I just felt like that’s what I wanted to do, and that’s what I was focusing on,” she added.

Andreeva’s admiration for Federer runs deep. Last year at Wimbledon, the youngster finally got the chance to debut at Centre Court as she faced Emma Navarro in the R16. The occasion became unforgettable for her when she realized Federer had been watching her play from the Royal Box alongside his wife, Mirka.

Andreeva also addressed Federer’s surprise appearance on Centre Court following her comprehensive 6-2, 6-3 win. She said she avoided eye contact with her childhood hero during the match.

“I really tried my best not to look over there. I knew as soon as I looked, I would completely lose my focus. So, I did – at 4-1. I saw Roger and Mirka. Honestly, it means a lot to me that you came and watched my match. It’s been one of my dreams to see you in real life,” she had said during her post-match interview.

Coming back, Andreeva’s performance against Chwalinska in the French Open final was pretty solid. She dominated her opponent’s serve throughout the match, breaking it on seven occasions. The first set appeared evenly matched at 3-3, but Chwalinska wasn’t able to hold her serve on the next two occasions.

Consecutive breaks gave Andreeva the first set and momentum into the final. She continued this momentum in the second set and stormed to a 5-0 lead. Though Chwalinska got a consolatory break, it didn’t prove to be enough as Andreeva broke right back to claim victory.

While taking inspiration from Federer certainly worked for Andreeva, another one of her idols, who had even sent her a special message before the final, also fueled her motivation.

Mirra Andreeva received a message from Svetlana Kuznetsova ahead of the final

Svetlana Kuznetsova, who won the French Open title in 2009, was present in Paris during the final on Saturday. She had shared some words of encouragement with Andreeva before her final and had advised her not to worry too much about the result.

“I also know that Svetlana Kuznetsova, she was also here. She sent me a little voice message before the match like, you know, trying to give me a lot of positive thoughts and a little bit of encouragement, like, hey, be happy, it’s your first Grand Slam final, how exciting, just enjoy this moment. I really appreciated that as well, and I hope that they both watched the final and enjoyed it,” Andreeva stated.

Following the monumental triumph in Paris, Andreeva is projected to reach No. 6 in the rankings. She had a remarkable clay swing, reaching three finals and winning two singles titles. Her first triumph of the season had come at the Linz Open in April.

The youngster will now aim to continue this form in the upcoming grass swing. She is likely to be in action at the HSBC Championships, which start on June 8.