'The sign of a champion': Sharapova toasts Andreeva's Paris triumph

It takes one to know one. Mirra Andreeva's emphatic win over Maja Chwalinska in the French Open final on Saturday made the 19-year-old the third-youngest player to win a Grand Slam event since the year 2000 -- and the woman who could be considered the president of that exclusive club couldn't have been happier to see it happen.

Sharing a photo of herself and Andreeva from a recent US Open, Maria Sharapova said she was "proud" of Andreeva for her big win, and that her relatively muted reaction to earning it -- only dropping to her knees and covering her face in triumph -- was "the sign of a champion."

"The celebration says it all," Sharapova, who famously won Wimbledon at age 17 in 2004 on the way to becoming one of tennis' biggest global superstars, wrote. "Excited, but not satisfied.”

Sharapova was already a noted admirer of Andreeva's since she broke through on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz three years ago. Ahead of the 2024 season, Sharapova predicted a big year for the teenager -- and Andreeva duly delivered on that when she first reached the semifinals at Roland Garros at age 17.

"I think a strong attitude," Sharapova said then. "She has the game to back it up, and I genuinely just like her approach and her sensibility in the game and I think she has a bright future ahead of her."

Sharapova was an idol of sorts for Andreeva in childhood, and the newly-crowned queen of Paris confessed in her post-match press conference that she had hoped the five-time Grand Slam singles champion, who won Roland Garros twice, would be watching her in the final.

"Obviously, I've been thinking to myself that if she's watching, it would be really nice to show good tennis, some good level," she said.

But Sharapova wasn't the only legend tuned in. Andreeva got a message of inspiration prior to the final from another French Open champion, she added.

"I also know that [Svetlana] Kuznetsova, she was also here," she continued. "She sent me a little voice message before the match, like, trying to give me a lot of positive thoughts and a little bit of encouragement, like, 'Hey, be happy, it's your first Grand Slam final, how exciting, just enjoy this moment.' I really appreciated that as well, and I hope that they both watched the final and enjoyed it."

Click here to read article