Mirra Andreeva staged an impressive turnaround in her second match at Roland Garros, showcasing a resilience and maturity that are beginning to stand out in world tennis. After dropping the first set 3-6 to Spain’s Marina Bassols Ribera, ranked 175th in the world, the young Russian, just 19 years old, regained control of the match and won decisively, closing it out at 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Bassols Ribera, making her debut in the main draw of this Grand Slam, seemed to have an opportunity to cause an upset, especially after a series of breaks that allowed her to serve for the first set. However, from that moment on, the Spaniard won only two games, unable to counter Andreeva’s rise, who quickly established leads of 5-0 and 4-0 in the following sets, completely dominating the match.
In the press conference, Andreeva acknowledged that her performance did not meet her expectations: “I didn’t have a very good start — I made a lot of mistakes, made poor decisions on the court, and allowed my opponent to play well in the first set. After that, I’m very happy that things went well in the second and third sets.” The tennis player also emphasized that her focus is on the process and not the final result, stating that she does not fixate on the goal of winning the tournament, but rather on how she wants to play in each match: “I try not to think ‘I really have to win this tournament.’ I concentrate more on how I want to play each match and what I want to do on the court.”
A curiosity relates to Andreeva’s initial reluctance to play on Court Simonne-Mathieu, where she contested this second match. Despite having already competed on the main courts of [Roland Garros](https://apitofinal.pt/modalidades/tenis/sabalenka-anisimova-e-gauff-em-acao-no-roland-garros/) — [Philippe Chatrier](https://apitofinal.pt/modalidades/tenis/matteo-arnaldi-derrota-tsitsipas-e-avanca-no-roland-garros/) and Suzanne Lenglen — and several others, the young player felt that this court had a different particularity during practice. “I felt that Court Simonne-Mathieu was a bit different, so I didn’t want to play there, but it turned out to be positive because now I know that experience well,” she admitted.
In the current landscape of women’s tennis, Andreeva has been establishing herself as one of the most promising young talents, particularly on clay, where she has won 17 of her last 20 matches this season. Although she has yet to win a Grand Slam title, her status as a contender is growing visibly, supported by a rare combination of talent and competitive mindset. “I feel like I’m playing well and I’ve had a good clay season so far,” added the Russian, who will face Marie Bouzkova in her next match.
The young Russian is aware that glory in a tournament of this magnitude requires more than just talent: “To win a Grand Slam, a lot depends on the mentality and preparation for the tournament in this crucial aspect of the sport.” Her present-focused approach and control of the game may be the key to transforming potential into titles, in a career that promises to revolutionize world tennis in the coming years.
Mirra Andreeva is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with at the 2026 Roland Garros. Her ability to overcome adversity and her continuous growth in her game make her one of the rising stars in tennis, with the “Andreeva Magic” remaining very much alive and ready to surprise.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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