GAMES of UNO and a special relationship on and off court have helped Mirra Andreeva and Conchita Martinez build a grand slam-winning partnership.

Former Wimbledon champion Martinez established her top-class coaching credentials with Garbine Muguruza, guiding her fellow Spaniard to the All England Club title in 2017.

Andreeva had not yet turned 17 when she turned to Martinez in April 2024 and now, just over two years later, the pair are celebrating a first major triumph for the Russian teenager at the French Open.

Andreeva, now 19, held her nerve to beat surprise finalist Maja Chwalinska 6-3 6-2, becoming the youngest women’s singles champion at Roland Garros for 34 years.

Having fun is central to Andreeva and Martinez’s relationship. The teenager gatecrashed her coach’s press conference on Saturday to ask what the best thing is about working with her.

“The best thing of working with Mirra Andreeva is we get to play UNO, and I always win,” said Martinez of the popular card game that has become a team staple.

“I’m fired,” she added with a grin as Andreeva skipped off to continue her round of media duties.

When Martinez was playing a match in the invitational doubles at Wimbledon last summer, Andreeva appeared court-side with a hand-made sign cheering her on.

But it has not all been smooth sailing. Andreeva has a fiery temper that she has at times struggled to control on court.

Defending her title in Indian Wells in March, she was heavily criticised for appearing to swear towards the crowd after losing to Katerina Siniakova in the third round.

“I’m super proud,” said Martinez. “It’s been quite a long road, I think, with a lot of ups and downs. She’s 19. She’s learning. She’s getting more experience.

“But this Roland Garros, she was super focused, behaving super well on court, maintaining her composure.

“I’m super proud of the work and how she was open to listening and to doing everything that is needed to win a grand slam. So I couldn’t be prouder.

“I knew things had to change for her to win big things. Sometimes I had doubts. If you don’t change something, you make it extra difficult for yourself.

“Great kudos to her. Kudos to her for being willing to change something, staying open, doing the hard work.

“You can see, once she does the hard work, her potential just comes out. She’s a natural. She’s a great player.

“Are we going to see her the whole time like this? I really wish and I really hope, but I’m sure there’s going to be ups and downs.

“As long as she can continue to learn and to get better, she still has big room for improvement in every department. So I’m super excited for the future.”

Andreeva, who will climb to sixth in the rankings, celebrated her triumph with Martinez, while the Spaniard’s dog Luna even went on court for some pictures with the trophy.

“Of course, it’s very, very special to share a first grand slam trophy with her,” said Andreeva.

“We’ve done a lot of work together on the court, off the court. We’ve also been through so many good moments and some bad moments, especially, I would say, at the end of last year.

“It’s very, very nice to share something like this with her and see how happy she is.

“Also, she told me she’s very proud of me. To hear those words from her is very, very special to me.”