Mirra Andreeva delivered a stellar performance to book her place in the fourth round of the French Open, crediting her inspired win to an unexpected “lucky charm” she received just moments before stepping onto the clay.
The sixth seed looked completely in her element on Court Suzanne Lenglen as she outclassed 32nd seed Yulia Putintseva in a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory. The match, which wrapped up in a brisk 78 minutes, saw the 18-year-old Russian firing 27 winners while limiting her unforced errors to 18. With that display of control and aggression, she maintained her spotless record at Roland Garros this year, not dropping a single set in her first three rounds.
While her form has been electric all tournament, Andreeva revealed post-match that a small gesture before her match gave her an emotional boost. In her on-court interview, she shared the story of a young girl who left something special for her before play began.
“When I was walking on court, a little girl that was with me put it on my bench,” said Andreeva.
“I think it was kind of a lucky charm. It doesn’t look that beautiful anymore because of the rain, but of course I’m going to keep it.
“I think it’s my lucky charm now. I don’t know, wherever that girl is, thank you so much.. because this is why I won today.”
That talisman may just be working wonders, as Andreeva finds herself in the last 16 of Roland Garros for the second consecutive year. Her breakout campaign in Paris last season saw her reach the semi-finals, and this year she’s only building on that momentum.
Beyond reaching another milestone in her young career, Andreeva has etched her name alongside tennis royalty. Her victory over Putintseva marked her 30th win of the 2025 season—a feat that puts her in elite company. Only a handful of teenagers have reached that benchmark before the end of the French Open, and Andreeva now joins that exclusive club that includes legends like Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis.
Her 30-match win mark is especially impressive considering her age. Not since Sharapova achieved the same milestone in 2005—also at 18—has a player this young notched that many wins so early in the calendar. Victoria Azarenka was the last teenager to reach that mark in 2009, and Andreeva now stands proudly beside those names as the youngest to do it in more than a decade.
Even more eye-catching is her growing love affair with Roland Garros. Since debuting at the tournament last year with a run to the third round, followed by a semi-final surge, Andreeva has now racked up 10 match wins in the main draw—a figure that puts her in rare air. At just 18 years and 26 days, she becomes the youngest woman since Hingis in 1997, then just 16, to claim double-digit victories on the Parisian clay.
Her next challenge comes on Monday when she faces off against 17th seed Daria Kasatkina in what promises to be an enticing fourth-round battle. Kasatkina, representing Australia at a Slam for the first time, has flown slightly under the radar in this tournament. However, she made a bold statement with a straight-sets win—6-1, 7-5—over 10th seed Paula Badosa in her previous outing.
Andreeva and Kasatkina share some recent history as well. The two squared off in the final of the 2024 Ningbo Open, where Kasatkina prevailed in a hard-fought three-setter, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. With both players in form and plenty at stake, their next encounter promises to be a thrilling clash of generations—youthful fire versus experienced finesse.
As the tournament heads into its second week, Mirra Andreeva’s blend of fearless baseline power and steely composure continues to turn heads. And if her “lucky charm” holds its magic a little longer, Paris might just witness the rise of a new clay court queen.