Maja Chwalinska has etched her name into French Open history by becoming the first qualifier in the professional era to reach the Roland Garros final. The world No. 114 secured her place in Saturday’s title clash match with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 victory over Diana Shnaider on Thursday.
Chwalinska will now face 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who advanced after a straight-sets win over Marta Kostyuk.
A victory over Andreeva would make Chwalinska only the second woman in the Open era to come through qualifying and win a Grand Slam title, following Emma Raducanu’s remarkable US Open triumph in 2021.
The 24-year-old described her breakthrough run in Paris as “like a dream” after overcoming Shnaider, the 25th seed who had stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka
in the previous round.
“I don’t know what’s going on, I just, I dunno what to say. I’m sorry, I’m just very happy,” Chwalinska said.
Chwalinska, appearing in her maiden Roland Garros main draw, has now won nine matches in a row.
The two-hour, 10-minute semi-final may have culminated in a win for the Pole but has left an impact.
“I mean it’s so challenging to play against the best players in the world day by day, but it’s a Grand Slam so you just have to give your best day by day,” she said. “But I’m not complaining at all!”
Before arriving in Paris, Chwalinska had won only one match in two previous Grand Slam appearances and just two tour-level clay-court matches.
She has so far defeated Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 23rd seed Elise Mertens, former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari, Diane Parry and 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya.
She is projected to rise to at least a career-high ranking of No. 21.
After edging a tightly contested first set in a tie-break, Chwalinska seized control late in the second. With the score level at 4-3, Shnaider took a medical timeout for treatment on her back. Chwalinska then won the final three games to seal the biggest victory of her career.
“The defeat ended Shnaider’s best-ever Grand Slam campaign.
“Very proud of myself, what I achieved here,” the 22-year-old said. “(Chwalinska) played unreal, and she definitely deserved this win today and to be in the final.”
