Howdy y’all and welcome to Tennis Insider!
It’s been quite the week so lets just get into it. First, let’s talk about the rise and coronation of Mirra Andreeva.
There are players we pencil in to win majors and then wait for the talent to catch up to the expectation. Mirra Andreeva was never really that. The timeline on her was always compressed.
At 15, after becoming the junior World No. 1, she won her first WTA Tour match, defeating Leylah Fernandez after receiving a wild card into the WTA 1000 in Madrid. A few weeks later, she qualified for Roland Garros and reached the third round. Wimbledon followed, where she got through qualifying and made the second week. By the time she was legally allowed to drive in most countries, she’d already beaten top-ten players. The progression was not gradual but more like series of announcements.
In 2024, she added Hall of Famer Conchita Martínez as her coach and she confirmed her potential by reaching the semifinals in Paris. At just 17, she became the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Martina Hingis in 1997. She beat Aryna Sabalenka to get there, but Jasmine Paolini ended the run in the semis. A silver medal in doubles at the Paris Olympics would soon follow and she found herself among the Top 20. She was no longer the hunter, but the prey.
By 2025, Andreeva found herself among the upper echelon of women’s tennis players. She captured two consecutive WTA 1000 titles, including the BNP Paribas Open where she became the youngest Indian Wells champion since Serena Williams in 1999. Not only was she gaining so much high-pressure match experience, but she was also climbing the rankings by entering the Top 5.
During the second half of 2025, Andreeva went through a bit of a sophomore slump, but somehow she was able to turn it up a notch so far in 2026. She captured WTA 500 titles in Adelaide and Linz before falling in the finals of Madrid to Marta Kostyuk. She entered Roland Garros as someone who could make a dent, but winning over the likes of Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek? That’s a bit of a tall order but she was entering her best Slam, where she held a 79% win rate.
Across the fortnight, Andreeva dropped just one set across seven matches. On Saturday afternoon, she managed her swirling emotions and the swirling breezes, and beat qualifier Maja Chwalińska 6-3, 6-2 on a windy Chatrier. The scoreline understated how in control she was. There were no wobbles, no prolonged crises, no late drama. Considering how Roland Garros unfolded (even more so for the men’s side), it was quite an impressive display. She joins Chris Evert and Coco Gauff as players who won their first major at 19. She is also the first of her generation to make a credible claim on the next era of the sport. Will it be a one-off? I personally don’t think so, but it’s refreshing to see another young gun grab the brass ring and add even more depth to the WTA.
And before we can even breathe, it’s grass court season! Farewell clay, what a season it’s been.
The surface shift that begins this week is one of the most disorienting fortnights in tennis. Players who spent two months sliding into their backhands now have to stand in and take it early. Patterns reset. Hierarchies get challenged.
The last four Wimbledon titles have gone to four different players — Elena Rybakina, Markéta Vondroušová, Barbora Krejčíková, and Świątek. This year looks similarly open, with no clear runaway favorite. Rybakina, who has won more matches than any woman since last summer’s Wimbledon, arrives with a strong start to 2026 and remains the logical grass-court standard-bearer. Świątek, an unlikely Wimbledon champion in 2025, will try to prove that was no fluke. Andreeva, who arrives from Paris as a Grand Slam champion for the first time, is a more interesting case: clay is her best surface, but her game (aggressive, high-quality from the baseline) can translate. We’re about to find out how quickly she adapts when the confetti has barely settled.
And if that weren’t enough, SERENA RETURNS TODAY!
(Not before) 12:30 p.m. EST is where Serena Williams and Victoria Mboko pair up against Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez. She’s also added the Berlin Open to her schedule, competing there before the grass season gives way to Wimbledon.
Williams has been clear that this is not about a title chase, but that the motivation is personal, family-oriented and something she hasn’t needed to explain in full (and shouldn’t have to). She’s 44 and a mom of two, so science isn’t necessarily on her side.
However, part of me just wonders if she’s trolling us and she’s really roaring to go for Grand Slam No. 24 (or more). I just feel there’s more to this comeback we’re not privy to, especially with singles. She has said in press that while she planned on coming back, the Queen’s Club and Berlin appearances were made at the eleventh hour. I wonder if this will be a full-fledged comeback or perhaps she’s getting in shape for a doubles farewell with Venus at the U.S. Open?
We’ll know soon. Perhaps not next week, but definitely soon.
Until then, on to links!
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This week in women’s tennis
As always, the best part of a Grand Slam ending is Jon Wertheim’s Parting Thoughts.
Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Siniaková captured their third Grand Slam as a duo, putting Townsend just one U.S. Open from the Career Grand Slam, knocking out Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic in straight sets.
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defended their mixed doubles crown, edging out Gaby Dabrowski and Evan King in a match tiebreaker.
Alisa Oktiabreva had hoped to make a run towards the senior main draw at Roland Garros before a wrist injury sidelined her earlier this year. Instead, she leaves Paris a major champion, winning the girl’s singles title over Sun Xinran.
Diede de Groot captured her 24th singles major, taking the wheelchair title over French hope Ksénia Chasteau.
It was nice to see Ana Ivanovic return to the courts of her lone major, partaking in the Legends event:
What a three weeks for Maja Chwalińska, who came from qualifying to the final, went from outside the Top 100 to knocking on the Top 20 which was many years in the making. She’ll no longer be struggling to cover hotel costs anymore.
Excited for this Netflix watch:
I’m jealous of the players’ dogs and wonder if they get a per diem on their credentials.
Roland Garros honored Caroline Garcia, who retired last year following the U.S. Open:
I’ll admit, I was very disappointed that Billie Jean King not only didn’t congratulate Mirra Andreeva on her first Grand Slam, but did so for ATP player Alexander Zverev who has been accused of domestic violence from multiple partners.
Tweet of the Week
File this under muscle memory:
Five at The IX: Roland Garros Week 2
Q. Did you think growing up when you thought about winning Grand Slams, did you ever think the French Open would be the one you won first? What’s the one you’re going to win next?
MIRRA ANDREEVA: Well, I wish I knew, but when I was thinking, you know, when I was talking to some people, to my family, like, I remember the question came up, and they were, like, Well, which Grand Slam would you want to win first?
I always said that it wouldn’t matter to me. I mean, a Grand Slam is a Grand Slam. Whatever comes first, I’ll be super happy with it.
I kind of feel pretty happy that Paris came first, because I love playing on clay. I played almost all my life on the surface. I also speak a little bit of French. So I felt like, you know, this would be the perfect first Grand Slam for me to come, and so super happy that it happened here.
Q. Your world has changed a little bit in the last few weeks, I would imagine. I also imagine you haven’t had much time to think about that, but now that you’re finished with the tournament, what differences do you think you’ll have ahead of you in life given the ranking you now have, the money that you have that you didn’t have before?
MAJA CHWALINSKA: Well, I guess I’ll see, you know? It will be different, for sure, but I think and I hope I’ll adapt. I definitely will work hard, as I am working hard.
Yeah, I’ll give my all to be better each and every day, and I’ll see what the results will be. But, yeah, definitely very grateful for this time, but yeah, it’s in the past now. So I just need to continue to stay present, you know, and yeah, give my all to be a better player every day.
Q. Congrats to both of you. Taylor, specifically, you’ve got three now with Kat. All but the US Open. You just said you’re incredibly motivated. I wonder if you could, if you don’t mind, look forward to having a shot at the career Grand Slam at the US Open. Kat, how would you feel also about winning all four with Taylor? You’ve got seven with Barbora, but who knows, you guys might top that as a team?
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I know that’s the one on my list, and it’s the one I want the most because for me it’s at home, and New York is so special and has such a special type of vibe and energy. You want to win at home.
For me the US Open would mean everything for me to be able to win that. Yeah, I mean, I’ve gotten close several times as well. Lost to her the first time (smiling).
I think it’s an honor to even have this position. I’m just so grateful to be where we are, to be fighting every day, to be playing really great tennis as a team and individually as well.
I think both of us are improving every time that we step out on the court. I think that’s what’s continuing to push us forward.
You know, for me, I don’t think that we have a limit to where we can go. As long as we stay healthy in the mind and the body and the spirit is good, I don’t see any reason why we can’t continue to play some of our best tennis in our latter years.
We both just turned 30 this year, so we’re not spring chickens. We’ve been out on the tour for a really long time, but for me I can speak for myself. I’m playing some of the best tennis, and I feel the best that I’ve felt in a really long time.
Like I said, I’m more motivated. Yeah, I would love to win the US Open. You know, I have a lot of work to do up until then, and yeah, I just want to stay healthy, good mind, good body, good spirit.
Q. This is your second Grand Slam final this year. We talked after the disappointment of losing the Australian Open. You talked a lot about how your mentality towards your tennis had changed. How much did that help your run during this year’s Roland Garros and this eventual title win?
DIEDE de GROOT: You know, my past year has been so difficult. I have had so many injuries, and then I pushed so hard to get to that Australian Open final. But my shoulder, it was giving up on me, and I really struggled throughout the whole season of hard court, and then my first match playing in Rome, so only three weeks ago after that Australian Open final.
So it feels a little bit surreal. That’s why it’s so special that I actually managed to win it, I feel like.
I’m mainly just really, really happy that I was able to enjoy it. I didn’t think about winning or losing. All I was thinking, okay, I’m gonna play, I’m gonna play, like how I’m training. And I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to work for every shot.
It came out. So, yeah, I’m happy.
Q. What are the plans going forward now? What do you want to do? You’ll go back and focus on some senior tennis? Where do you go to next?
ALISA OKTIABREVA: Yeah, for sure I want to continue to play pro events. Now I’m not sure which one is going to be my next one, because I have to go back home. Then I have some exams in school for next few weeks.
So, yeah, I was thinking about playing juniors Wimbledon. Now I’m not really sure. We’ll see.
So some, like, pro event, I guess some ITF or WTA. It depends where I’ll get in.
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