Maja Chwalinska makes history, becoming the first qualifier to reach the French Open final

In a result that will be remembered as one of the most unusual breakthroughs in tennis history, Maja Chwalinska became the first ever qualifier to reach the French Open final after beating Diana Shnaider 7-6(4), 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes. What started as a promising qualifying campaign turned into a full-fledged fairy tale on the Parisian clay.

Chwalinska, the world No. 114 coming into the tournament, has now won nine in a row and dropped just one set in 18 games played. Before arriving at Roland Garros, she had zero against top 50 opponents. He now has four in a row and is toppling established names en route to the final.

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Her rise has been astonishing, going from just two career clay wins prior to this venture to one win away from a Grand Slam title. He will leave Paris worst ranked in the world’s top 21 and rewrite his career in a matter of weeks.

After her victory over Shnaider, Chwalinska stood speechless for a moment as she took in the roar of the packed Philippe-Chatrier crowd. “I think it feels like a dream, honestly,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know what to say. I’m just very happy.”

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Chwalinska’s run at Roland Garros completely changed her career, both on and off the court. She entered the tournament with career earnings of $864,030, which she has already more than doubled to earn $1,624,000. It’s a life-changing ascension fueled by faith, consistency and historic success.

In Saturday’s final, Chwalinska will face Mirra Andreeva, who had a commanding victory over Marta Kostyuk earlier in the day. Emma Raducanu remains the only qualifier to ever win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open Era, and Chwalinska now has the opportunity to join that exclusive list after a remarkable and inspiring run.

CHWALINSKA LEADS IN STYLE

The opening set between Maja Chwalinska and Diana Shnaider was an enthralling match that constantly spilled from one player to the other before the Polish qualifier had the final say. Chwalinska started the sharper, breaking early to move ahead 3-1, but Shnaider immediately responded with a break of her own to level the scores.

From that point on, neither player was willing to back down an inch, engaging in furious baseline exchanges and producing excellent shooting. At 4-4, the tension mounted and Chwalinska showed remarkable determination during a marathon game that lasted nearly 10 minutes. Shnaider created several break opportunities but was unable to convert, allowing her opponent to stay alive.

After 77 minutes of quality tennis, the set finally went to a tie-break. Shnaider looked set to take control when she opened up a 3-1 lead in the breaker, but Chwalinska produced a stunning turnaround, winning six of the next seven points to clinch the set 7-6(4) and complete a remarkable comeback.

More to follow…

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

04 Jun 2026 23:17 IST