Mirra Andreeva, a 17-year-old Russian player without a seed, delivered a stunning blow to world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday, winning 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4. With this result, she becomes the youngest semifinalist in a Grand Slam since 16-year-old Martina Hingis in 1997. She also joins the elite company of Monica Seles as the youngest player to beat a top-two seed at Roland Garros, echoing Seles' 1990 victory over Steffi Graf. This achievement is particularly impressive given that Andreeva is only in her fifth Grand Slam appearance and hasn't yet won a professional tour title.
Mirra Andreeva, an unseeded 17-year-old from Russia, stunned No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4 at the French Open on Wednesday, becoming the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist since Martina Hingis at 16 in 1997. She is also the youngest player to defeat someone ranked No. 1 or 2 at Roland Garros since Monica Seles, who, like Hingis, is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, beat Steffi Graf in the 1990 final when she was 16 years old. Andreeva has yet to win a tour-level title and is playing in her fifth Slam tournament.
On the other side of the net, Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning champion of the Australian Open, saw her dominant 2024 form slip; she had won 23 straight sets in majors this year before Andreeva took the final two. Sabalenka's performance seemed hindered by physical discomfort, as she was seen receiving treatment from doctors and trainers throughout the day. The match ended dramatically when Andreeva hit a brilliant lob that Sabalenka couldn't reach, prompting an emotional reaction from the teenager, who broke into a huge smile and hid her face in excitement.
Thursday's matchup features Andreeva against another newcomer to the semifinals: Italy's 28-year-old Jasmine Paolini. Paolini earned her place here after a tough 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over the fourth seed and former Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina. Paolini was virtually untouchable in the opening set, boasting a perfect 100% success rate on her second serves and winning 89% of her first serves. Her discipline was key; she converted two crucial break points and completely shut down Rybakina's attempts to break her own serve.
Andreeva has been a rising talent for a while, previously making deep runs into the fourth round at both last year's Wimbledon and this year's Australian Open. Known for her maturity both on and off the court, she continues to evolve her game under the guidance of legendary 1994 Wimbledon winner Conchita Martinez.
The other semifinal on Thursday is a clash of titans: world No. 1 Iga Swiatek versus No. 3 Coco Gauff. Swiatek is chasing her fifth major title overall and her fourth specifically in Paris, while Gauff is looking to build on her US Open win from last September and her 2022 runner-up finish here. Both athletes cruised through their quarterfinals on Tuesday. Given their experience, the winner of this high-stakes match will likely enter the final as the heavy favorite against either Andreeva or Paolini.