A politically charged semifinal at Roland-Garros ended with Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva powering into her maiden Grand Slam final Thursday, dispatching Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 — and, as expected, there was no handshake at the net.
A Match Steeped in More Than Tennis
The 19-year-old eighth seed seized control from the first ball on Court Philippe Chatrier, racing to a 4-0 lead behind blistering backhands and a first serve that Kostyuk couldn’t solve. Andreeva dropped just four games and wrapped up the win on her first match point, throwing her racket in the air before pumping her fist.
But the subtext was unavoidable. As has become standard for Ukrainian players since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Kostyuk did not pose for the traditional pre-match photo with Andreeva and there was no handshake before or after. The players had separate photos taken with ball kids on their own sides of the net. Kostyuk walked off quickly, blowing kisses to a crowd dotted with Ukrainian flags.
Kostyuk’s Clay Streak Snapped
For Kostyuk, 23, the defeat ended a remarkable 17-0 clay-court season. The World No. 15 had been the form player on dirt, winning her first WTA 1000 in Madrid last month — beating Andreeva in straight sets in that final. On Tuesday she became the first Ukrainian woman in the Open Era to reach a Roland-Garros semifinal after outlasting idol Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.
“I want to give this match to Ukrainian people and to their resilience. Slava Ukraini!” Kostyuk said after her quarterfinal, noting she played hours after fresh Russian strikes on Kyiv killed 18 civilians.
On Thursday, nerves and the windy Paris conditions got to her early. She handed Andreeva the first break with a double fault and sprayed 30 groundstroke unforced errors. A brief second-set fightback to 4-3 was snuffed out immediately.
Andreeva: “I’ve Never Felt Anything Like This”
Andreeva, a semifinalist in Paris in 2024, was clinical. “I’m still very nervous,” she admitted. “She hadn’t lost on clay, so that put pressure. She’s an amazing player… I’m happy I got revenge for the Madrid final, and to reach my first Grand Slam final”.
“All of these feelings combined, I’ve never felt anything like this before,” she added. At 19, she’ll become the third-youngest first-time female Grand Slam champion this century if she wins Saturday, behind Maria Sharapova and Emma Raducanu.
The Bigger Picture
The war has shadowed every Andreeva-Kostyuk meeting. Kostyuk has repeatedly criticized Russian players for not taking a “clear stance” on the invasion, while Andreeva has declined to discuss politics. Kostyuk said she tries to leave the emotion off court but admitted it’s “difficult to detach”.
With world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka already out, Andreeva is now the highest seed left. She’ll face either compatriot Diana Shnaider or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen on Saturday.
One handshake was missing. One final is now waiting.