Mirra Andreeva is living life in the fast lane.

As a 17-year-old, she became the third-youngest champion in tournament history when she defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final in just her second appearance in Tennis Paradise.

Just over two years later, the 19-year-old is a Grand Slam champion, having conquered the clay at Roland Garros in a title run that elevates her to first place in the Race to the WTA Finals.

And the scary thought for her rivals is that she may not even be in top gear yet.

“We’ve had big expectations on her, and she’s had big expectations on herself. She’s said that she wants to be a Grand Slam champion and to be No. 1 in the world,” said 2011 Indian Wells champion Caroline Wozniacki moments after Andreeva's triumph.

“So as we look to the rest of the season, she sees herself first in the Race and starts to think that if she keeps playing well perhaps she can be No. 1 at the end of the year.”

The pace of Andreeva’s rise has been remarkable. It was just over three years ago that, as a 15-year-old, she won her first tour-level match against Leylah Fernandez in Madrid.

But perhaps it was preordained, even before her birth. Inspired by watching Marat Safin’s victory over Lleyton Hewitt in the 2005 Australian Open final, Andreeva’s mother, Raisa, decided her children would play the sport, ultimately sending Mirra and her older sister Erika to an academy in France.

Andreeva would rise to junior World No. 1 and last Saturday enjoyed her greatest moment to date when she defeated Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska to secure the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen.

"I've been watching Roland Garros on TV since I was very, very young," said Andreeva, who dropped just one set throughout the fortnight and conceded only 17 games from the quarter-finals on. "It's also a big dream of mine to win this tournament, and I honestly cannot believe that I'm holding this trophy right now."

During the trophy presentation, Andreeva donned a jacket with the words I want to thank myself, repeating the line that she also used when she lifted the Indian Wells trophy in 2025.

"I also want to thank myself for believing in myself," said Andreeva, who works with a sports psychologist.

"For always giving 100 per cent even when it's tough, trying every day to be better as a person and a player. Believing I can do this, fighting so many demons inside of me.

"Only I know how tough it was for me and how nervous I was these past two weeks.”

What started out as a gesture two years ago, in part for laughs, has morphed into something more serious for the new World No. 6.

“Why not thank yourself?” she said later. “Because you are the one that works, you are the one doing the job.”

Integral to Andreeva’s success has been her partnership with coach and former Wimbledon champion and Roland Garros finalist Conchita Martinez, who has helped Andreeva better manage her emotions and to keep success and defeat in perspective while focusing on the big picture.

They came together in 2024 and the Spaniard has been in Andreeva’s corner for all six of her tour-level titles.

"Even though she won Roland Garros here, there's still a very long way to go,” Martinez said. “She still has big room for improvement in every department. So I'm super excited for the future."

Andreeva, who has watched many Roger Federer matches online to study how the Swiss maestro conducted himself on court, remains a work in progress, which at 19 is to be expected. There have been times this season when frustrations became distractions that contributed to losses.

But in Paris, during a tournament that will be remembered for its early exodus of seeds, Andreeva showed poise under pressure to finish the job when she found herself as the only Top 10 seed left standing in the semi-finals.

There, she snapped Marta Kostyuk’s 16-match winning streak with a 6-1, 6-3 victory that avenged her recent loss in the Madrid final. As an overwhelming favourite in the final, she held her nerve in blustery conditions to dismiss Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2.

"My psychologist says you can always choose how you're going to be on the court, how you're going to play and who you're going to be as a person as well,” Andreeva said about her mental composure in Paris. “I decided to choose to be a fighter.”

"I watched a lot of Roger [Federer's] matches here. No one is going to have the same aura, but I really want to try to impersonate the way he behaves on the court.

"Maybe that helped me because I wanted to look good on the court, not be frustrated or not happy with how I play."

Her Roland Garros title is likely just the start, not the pinnacle, of her Grand Slam career. Andreeva has already set her sights on pressing for a second major title next month at Wimbledon.

"I feel like this thing is a little bit addicting,” she said. “I really want to do my best to experience all of this for the second time."