How watching Roger Federer helped Mirra Andreeva to first career Grand Slam title at French Open

Andreeva, 19, beat Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska 6-3 6-2 to become the youngest woman to win the French Open since Monica Seles in 1992.

The teenager has already been on the women's tour for several years, having broken out aged 15 in 2023, and has at times allowed frustrations to boil over on court.

But during her run to the Roland-Garros title, the demeanour on Andreeva's side of the court was calm and collected - as noted by TNT Sports expert Chris Evert.

And Andreeva revealed in her post-match press conference how she has changed her mindset in the high-pressure moments.

”I wouldn’t say that there was a big reset, or something that I decided to switch completely, or a change of approach for matches," Andreeva said.

”My psychologist said you can always choose how you’re going to be on the court, and how you’re going to play, and who you’re going to be as a person as well. So I just decided to choose to be a fighter.

”I also watched a lot of Roger [Federer]’s matches here and I felt like I really want to - I’m obviously not going to have the same aura, nobody is going to have the same aura - but I really want to try to impersonate the way he behaves on the court, because I loved watching him.

”Maybe that helped me a little bit, because I really wanted to look good on the court. Not be frustrated or not happy with how I played.

”Also, for the people, it’s nice to watch players try their best, fight and compete, so I felt like that’s what I wanted to do, and that’s what I was focusing on.”

Andreeva has made the clay her strongest surface with a number of strong showings at Roland-Garros, her best run in previous years coming in 2024 as she made the semi-finals.

She shares a strong relationship with coach Conchita Martinez, who has been widely credited with helping Andreeva's mental approach to matches, and the teenager shared her delight at winning a first major alongside the former Wimbledon champion.

"Yeah, of course it's very, very special to share a first Grand Slam trophy with her," Andreeva said. "We've done a lot of work together on the court off the court.

"We've also been through so many good moments and some bad moments, especially I would say at the end of last year. So it's very, very nice to share something like this with her and see how happy she is and also she told me that you know she's very proud of me and to hear those words from her is very, very special to me."

TNT Sports expert John McEnroe said he is far from surprised that Andreeva has her first Grand Slam under her belt and credited her for being in the position to capitalise after the early exits of Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and other top seeds.

"Mirra obviously had some of that pressure and seemed to struggle with it but I think having Conchita Martinez is useful for her," McEnroe said.

"Slowly but surely you can see her getting closer, then the cards fell her way. She could have been playing Sabalenka [in the final], instead she's playing a qualifier.

"Things definitely fell her way but she keeps putting herself in this position and it's paying off. She's big and strong, mixing her game up well, she isn't predictable and it's making her formidable.

"It doesn't shock me that it happened, maybe a bit sooner than I thought. The timing worked out beautifully for her."

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