Maja Chwalinska is achieving the impossible in shock-filled Paris
Roland Garros
June 4, 2026
Maja Chwalinska is a player almost no one had heard of three weeks ago.
Nine matches later, she is on the verge of Roland Garros glory. The unlikeliest winner of all time.
Maja Chwalinska will bring her huge Polish following to enjoy Wimbledon 2026 too, no doubt!
She has already become the first qualifier in the open era to reach the French Open final. Shades of Emma Raducanu at Flushing Meadows back in 2021.
How on earth did Maja beat 25th seed Diana Shnaider 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 without so much as a wobble? She’d never beaten a top fifty player before this tournament.
But the 24-year-old did reach the second round of Wimbledon back in 2022. How she will look forward to the grass of the All England Club later this month!
But for now, she seems to be calmly walking through a magical sporting dream without so much as a twitch. Only after the final point did the enormity of semi-final victory seem to sink in.
No wonder she fell onto her back and covered her face with her hands. As soon as she had a towel close to hand, she used that instead.
With a modest smile, she composed herself enough to say: ‘I mean, it’s like a dream, honestly. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what to say, I’m sorry.’
A question about her physical condition after nine gruelling matches brought Maja to her senses, though.
‘Not great, I won’t lie,’ she replied. ‘It’s so challenging to play the best players day by day. But it’s a Grand Slam and I’m not complaining!’
Maja Chwalinska didn’t show a hint of nerves all through the semi-final. How will she handle Wimbledon 2026? We can’t wait.
Her temperament seems perfect. But she did admit: ‘I’m crazy sometimes too. But I try to stay calm because I know it’s the best thing for me, so that’s what I’m trying to do.’
She knows her opponent in the final, Mirra Andreeva will know all there is to know about her come Saturday.
Maja added: ‘I played nine matches here already, so there are no secrets. But I watched Mirra in her semi-final a bit – and it was incredible. It’s just a great experience for me to be playing her – and I’ll give my all for sure.’
Andreeva won because her semi-final opponent Marta Kostyuk barely turned up for the first four games. Mirra was nervous herself. But she accepted one gift after another from Kostyuk, who was overcome by the occasion.
In the end Andreeva was relatively untroubled in her 6-1, 6-3 victory. But can she handle Chwalinska’s devastating drop-shot-and-lob combination? We shall see.
‘Let me enjoy this moment for now,’ said the Pole wisely. ‘I just want to breathe a little, enjoy today and then recover as much as I can to be able to be Maja on Saturday.’
Enjoy the glorious unpredictability of the French Open final – and then come to Wimbledon 2026 to see the greatest plsyers up close and personal!
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