Mirra Andreeva arrived at Roland Garros 2026 with the kind of momentum that makes a young player dangerous in Paris. After an excellent clay court swing, the 18-year-old said she is excited to be back at a tournament she has quickly made her own, and she plans to begin her campaign on Sunday.
"Preparation is going great. I love playing in Paris and I love playing on these clay courts. I’m super excited to be back. Last year, I achieved a great result here, and I also feel like I’ve had a very good start to the season on clay. I'm very excited to start the tournament on Sunday," Andreeva said.
The Russian has become one of the most watched players on the women's tour, and Paris has been central to that rise. She said this is already her fifth year in the French capital, noting that she played the junior tournament there in 2022 and now knows many of the people who work around the event as well as several players. Even with that familiarity, she said the place still feels special, with an atmosphere that never seems to fade.
Andreeva, who is coached by Conchita Martínez, said part of her comfort in Paris comes from the way she handles the match load. She said she plays doubles well because she simply enjoys it, and that the format leaves her less stressed and less nervous. The comparison she made was a personal one: doubles, she said, reminds her of the ping-pong games she used to play with her sister, all laughs, fun and competitiveness at the same time.
That same ease, she said, is harder to find in singles, where she wants to do very well and win many matches. She admitted she still feels more pressure there, but said her mental approach has changed. Instead of reacting badly when something goes wrong, she has been working on speaking to herself in a more positive way, a shift she believes has made a real difference. When she stays positive, she said, she thinks better, makes better decisions and cuts down on errors.
The tension in Paris is not only internal. Andreeva said it is never easy to face a French player at Roland Garros because the crowd will back the home favorite heavily, especially in front of a Paris audience. That is part of the challenge she is stepping into as one of the event’s most closely tracked young contenders, with her progress shaped not only by her results but by a steadier outlook on court. For Andreeva, the next test begins Sunday, and it comes with expectation already attached.
