The first all-Czech junior singles Grand Slam final in history saw No.12 seed Tereza Valentova defeat No.3 seed Laura Samson 6-3, 7-6(0) in 1 hour and 40 minutes to lift the Roland Garros girls' singles trophy.

Roland Garros: Scores | Draws

The triumph marks a first junior Grand Slam crown for Valentova, 17, who did not drop a set during the week. She was previously runner-up to Katherine Hui at last year's US Open; Samson also fell to Hui in the semifinals of the same event.

Valentova, the daughter of Olympic sprint canoeist Jitka Janackova, becomes the sixth Czech girls' champion at Roland Garros in the Open Era, and the third in the past four years. She follows Renata Tomanova (1972), Regina Marsikova (1975), Hana Mandlikova (1978), Linda Noskova (2021) and Lucie Havlickova (2022). 

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Later, Valentova also claimed the doubles title alongside Slovakia's Renata Jamrichova after the pair defeated American duo Tyra Caterina Grant and Iva Jovic 6-4, 6-4 in the final. It was a first junior Grand Slam doubles crown for Valentova and a second for Jamrichova, who was the 2023 Australian Open girls' doubles champion alongside Federica Urgesi.

Grant and Jovic had succeeded Jamrichova and Urgesi as the Australian Open girls' doubles champions this year. Grant had also been defending champion in Paris, having won the title alongside Clervie Ngounoue last year.

The singles final saw Valentova leap out to quick early leads in both sets, before having to hold off gritty comeback attempts from her 16-year-old compatriot. Both players aimed to play aggressive, front-foot tennis, but it was Valentova who had the slight edge in terms of weight of shot. The older player tallied 30 winners to Samson's 23 (with both players committing 23 unforced errors), and averaged a first serve speed of 96 m.p.h. compared to Samson's 91 m.p.h.

However, Samson had battled through three consecutive three-setters to reach the final (over Kaitlin Quevedo, Jovic and Kristina Penickova) and came up with her finest shots when behind. She found a reflexed half-volley to break back for 3-3 in the second set, and some scorching forehands in preventing Valentova from serving the match out at 6-5.

Double faults had crept into Valentova's game towards the back end of the second set, but she shook off the disappointment of getting broken to reassert her authority with a flawless tiebreak to seal the title.

"The key [was], I think, more head than just normal tennis," said Valentova afterwards. "For sure, more mentality side. It was really tough, because we are in the same club. We are practicing together sometimes.

"I think that I start pretty good. I think she was a bit nervous, but also me. Then she started to play a bit better, but then I started to play better. So yeah, it was incredible match.

"Second set I was tense a bit, because I had a volley on the advantage for me so it could be 4-1. It was a bit tough for my head. I told myself, never mind, next point. Then she started to play better again, I start to play bad a bit. Then I told myself that you can do it, go for it. So I go for it, and I manage to win it."

Both Valentova and Samson have made impressive strides on the professional circuit this year. Indeed, Roland Garros was just Valentova's second junior event of the year following the Australian Open; she has spent most of the season dominating the ITF World Tour. Valentova started 2024 with a 21-match winning streak encompassing four titles, including the Ricany ITF W75 in March. Her overall pro record this season is 25-2, and she has lifted her ranking from No.690 at the start of the year to No.337.

Samson had played just one pro event before 2024 and began the year unranked. She's already up at No.719 after compiling a 23-5 record, including three ITF W15 titles. Samson played under her birth surname of Samsonova until last year, but made the official change after repeated confusion with World No.17 Liudmila Samsonova.