Maja Chwalinska lost the 2026 French Open women’s singles final to Mirra Andreeva.
The Pole couldn’t quite match Emma Raducanu’s feat of winning a Grand Slam as a qualifier, falling at the last hurdle.
Still, she made memories that will last a lifetime in Paris, and has plenty to look forward to.
How many Grand Slams does Mirra Andreeva win in her career? 🏆
The last French Roland Garros champion, Mary Pierce, has now shared what she told Chwalinska after the final.
Mary Pierce told Maja Chwalinska that she lost her first Grand Slam final as well
Appearing as a guest on ‘The Final by Hesperide‘, Pierce, who handed the winner’s trophy to Andreeva, shared what she told Chwalinska during the ceremony.
“So happy for Mirra [Andreeva], it’s her first Grand Slam final. My first Grand Slam final was here at Roland Garros, at 19 years old, against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, but I did not win that match,” she said.
Mary Pierce’s Grand Slam final record (2-4)
| Final | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 1994 French Open | Arantxa Sanchez Vicario | LOSS | 4-6, 4-6 |
| 1995 Australian Open | Arantxa Sanchez Vicario | WIN | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1997 Australian Open | Martina Hingis | LOSS | 2-6, 2-6 |
| 2000 French Open | Conchita Martinez | WIN | 6-2, 7-5 |
| 2005 French Open | Justine Henin | LOSS | 1-6, 1-6 |
| 2005 US Open | Kim Clijsters | LOSS | 3-6, 1-6 |
“So I was able to encourage Maja; I was like, ‘Maja, I lost my first Grand Slam final too, so hopefully this will give you confidence going forward’.”
Pierce was impressed by Chwalinska’s performance in the final and is excited by what the future may hold for the 24-year-old.
“It was really the first whole match I saw of the Polish player, and I was really impressed,” she said.
“I love her game, lefty, crafty, I love her drop shots, her slice, her change of pace, her short angles, coming to the net, she can really do it all.
“So, I’m excited to see what’s going to happen in the future for her career, because she’s got a really complete game, so hopefully this will give her confidence going forward.”
The 2000 French Open champion was also keen to share her thoughts on the conditions both players dealt with during the final.
“It was very windy sitting there, but it wasn’t until I got onto the court for the trophy ceremony when I realised how windy [it was]; it was even more windy!” said Pierce.
“So the conditions were really difficult, it was really challenging, and they did a great job. You could see there were certain moments where it was difficult to manage.
“It was a great match; there were a lot of changes of pace, a lot of different things.
“It was interesting to see how Mirra handled the match as well, with all the changes of pace, she was patient, waited for her moments to attack, and played a smart match at the end of the day, and did what she needed to do to win.”
Andreeva stayed solid, defeating her less-experienced opponent in straight sets to clinch her maiden Grand Slam title.
Mary Pierce congratulates Conchita Martinez 26 years after their Roland Garros final
26 years ago, Pierce defeated Conchita Martinez in the French Open final.
In a full-circle moment, Pierce handed the trophy to Martinez’s student, Andreeva, in 2026.
“Shout out to Conchita [Martinez], congratulations, good job, so happy for you!” said Pierce.
“Really, she’s an awesome coach.
“I think it was really interesting how I played Conchita here in the finals when I won in 2000, and now her player is in the final, and I’m giving her player the trophy today, so it was almost a full-circle moment, but it was pretty cool.
“Conchita is such an awesome player, person, and just has so much experience.
“She’s a great coach; she coached Garbine Muguruza before and had great results, and now with Mirra, great results, so whatever she’s doing is working!”
Martinez coached Garbine Muguruza to the Wimbledon title back in 2017.
Whether she can do the same with Andreeva remains to be seen.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday, June 29.
