You are a gift to the sport: Andre Agassi praises Chwalinska at Roland Garros

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi has stepped forward with a heartfelt message for Maja Chwalinska following her Roland Garros final defeat, reminding the Polish qualifier just what her historic run has meant to the sport. Despite falling at the final hurdle against Mirra Andreeva, the 24-year-old had plenty to smile about after completing the tournament of her life.

Speaking to the Polish player during her appearance in the TNT Sports studio, where Agassi was working as an analyst, the former world number one took the opportunity to lift her spirits. As Chwalinska emotionally admitted that she doesn’t know what she did to deserve such an overwhelming outpouring of support, the American legend offered some strong words of comfort to help her process her accomplishments.

“Well, if you don’t know why you deserve it, let me help you understand. You’ve qualified and made it to the finals, which is one of the toughest challenges in all of our sport.”

“Don’t get distracted by the articles. Don’t get distracted by the wins and losses. Get better because you are a gift to the sport.”

Agassi’s praise carries incredible weight considering Chwalinska entered Paris ranked 114th and completely rewrote records by winning nine straight matches in three weeks. By reaching the championship match, became the first qualifier in history to reach the women’s singles final at Roland Garros and only the second female qualifier in the entire Open Era to do so at a Grand Slam, after Emma Raducan.

HOW WAS CHWALINSKA’S FRENCH OPEN 2026?

Chwalinska’s historic journey in Paris was nothing short of a fairytale as she had to win three consecutive qualifying matches just to get her name into the main draw. From there, she transformed into a giant killer, securing spectacular upsets over elite players such as Qinwen Zheng and Elise Mertens before battling through a three-set thriller against world number nine Maria Sakkari. She then defeated Diane Parry, Anna Kalinskaya and Diana Shnaider to book her coveted place in the final.

The championship match on Court Philippe-Chatrier proved too far against eighth-seeded Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva. Chwalinska battled hard early on and even held a 3-2 lead in the first set, but Andreeva handled the windy conditions beautifully and reeled off nine consecutive games to close out a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Despite the latest heartbreak, Chwalinska’s career was forever changed; her world ranking is projected to climb 93 places to a career high of 21st, guaranteeing her direct entry into the world’s biggest tournaments without ever having to play a qualifier again.

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Published on:

08 Jun 2026 23:46 IST