Chris Evert provides ‘excuse’ for Maja Chwalinska’s French Open loss to Mirra Andreeva

Richie Mills 06 Jun 2026 3:53 PM

Pictured: Poland's Maja Chwalinska reacts during the French Open final

Maja Chwalinska reacts during the French Open final against Russia's Mirra Andreeva

Tennis legend Chris Evert has come up with an “excuse” as to why Maja Chwalinska might have lost to Mirra Andreeva in the French Open final.

The Polish world No 114 had enjoyed a fairytale run to the Roland Garros championship match but that all came to an end on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Andreeva won her first Grand Slam in a 6-3 6-2 victory over the 24-year-old in windy conditions on Court Phillipe Chatrier.

Chwalinska had only won one Grand Slam match before this tournament but did not look out of place as she beat three seeds on her way to the final.

However, none of those were in the top 20, as the teenager outclassed Chwalinska in the French capital. Indeed, the Pole lost eight games in a row as Andreeva sped to victory.

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What made Chwalinska’s run all the more impressive is the fact she came through three rounds of French Open qualifying.

And while Evert stressed that Andreeva was a deserved winner, when the young Russian was racing towards victory, she did provide an excuse for her opponent.

She said on TNT Sports, “I can’t stress this enough, her 10th match. I am not trying to make any excuses for her but in a sense I am. But it’s just a lot of tennis and a lot of emotional and mental energy has been spent already over three weeks – not two weeks.”

Evert added that Chwalinska’s tank was “slowly emptying” as the contest progressed and that her attacking arsenal wasn’t enough to hurt Andreeva.

After the match, Evert asserted that Andreeva is the future of tennis and predicted her to win multiple Grand Slams.

The result saw Andreeva stay sixth in the WTA Tour rankings, closing the gap to Amanda Anisimova in fifth to less than 100 points. Chwalinska, on the other hand, is just outside the top 20 in 21st.

At the age of 19 years and 39 days, Andreeva is the first teenager to win the French Open women’s singles title since a certain Iga Swiatek in 2020.

She is also the youngest women’s champion at Roland Garros since an 18-year-old Monica Seles way back in 1992.