'A trophy ceremony with a puppy?' A new queen on the court, a 19-year-old girl outside... Andreyeva's surprising charm sparks discussion

*This content was translated by AI.

The moment a new tennis queen was born, a scene as eye-catching as the championship trophy appeared. Mira Andreyeva (19, Russia) shared the joy of victory with a puppy after claiming the title at the world-renowned French Open.

On the 6th (Korea time), Andreyeva defeated Poland's Maya Hvalinskaya (25) 2-0 (6-3, 6-2) in the women's singles final of the 2026 French Open held at Roland Garros in Paris, France, to claim the championship.

With this victory, Andreyeva has etched her name as the youngest French Open women's singles champion since the 'legend' of women's tennis, Monica Seles. Seles reached the French Open title at age 16 in 1990 and went on to win three consecutive titles until 1992.

This win also marks Andreyeva's first major title. She began playing tennis at age six and has consistently achieved results on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour, but this is her first Grand Slam victory. Previously, Andreyeva reached the semifinals of the 2024 French Open but failed to advance to the final. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she also won a silver medal in women's doubles alongside Diana Shnaider.

This victory also holds deep significance for Andreyeva's home country, Russia. Andreyeva became the first Russian female player to reach the Grand Slam summit since Maria Sharapova won the French Open in 2014.

With this victory, Andreyeva secured a prize money of 3.22 million dollars, which amounts to approximately 5 billion won at Hanwha.

However, after securing the championship, Andreyeva displayed another charm. At the moment of the victory ceremony, she held a puppy in her arms and took a commemorative photo. Andreyeva smiled brightly, and the white-furred puppy, its fur fluttering in the strong wind, gazed at the championship trophy she had claimed.

While she was a champion on the court, relying on powerful play and unwavering concentration, off the court she also showed the side of an ordinary teenager sharing joy with a puppy. Reuters also introduced a photo stating, "Andreyeva poses with the trophy and a puppy after winning the French Open."

Andreyeva's love for dogs is already well known. She has been raising her pet dog, 'Rashi', since 2025. However, the white puppy that made a surprise appearance at the French Open victory ceremony appears not to be Rashi. Unlike this white puppy, Rashi has black and tan fur.

The WTA previously introduced the special story of Andreyeva and Rashi last year. Andreyeva had wanted to raise a dog for a long time, but her mother promised to allow it only if Andreyeva reached the world top 20. With a goal set, Andreyeva continued to grow and showed strong determination, even checking her live ranking after every match. Eventually, Andreyeva rose to world number 5 and kept her promise.

However, Andreyeva did not bring the dog home immediately. She stated, "A puppy is like a small child. I want to raise one only when I am sure I can give it everything it needs," and waited. Finally, she welcomed Rashi as a new family member.

As Andreyeva lives a tour life, she cannot be with Rashi at every moment. Andreyeva previously expressed regret, saying, "Some countries and tournaments have regulations prohibiting pets. In such cases, the dog must stay at home." She then laughed, adding, "When that happens, I video call Rashi, but Rashi never responds."

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*This content was translated by AI.