Maja Chwalińska Advances to French Open Final, Making History
Maja Chwalińska's Remarkable Journey
Maja Chwalińska has continued her impressive performance at the 2026 French Open, securing her spot in the women's singles final after defeating 25th seed Diana Shnaider with a score of 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. The match, held at the renowned Court Philippe Chatrier in Stade Roland Garros, lasted two hours and ten minutes. At just 24 years old, Chwalińska is on the brink of claiming her first Grand Slam title, having entered the tournament through the qualifiers. The world No. 114 triumphed in three qualifying matches, marking her debut in the main draw of a major tournament. Throughout the event, she has played nine matches, losing only one set, which occurred in the third round against Maria Sakkari.
Maja Chwalińska Makes History
Chwalińska has made history by becoming the first player to reach the French Open final after starting from the qualifiers. This achievement is only the second of its kind in tennis history, following British player Emma Raducanu's success at the 2021 US Open. If Chwalińska wins the final, she will be the first player to accomplish this feat at Roland Garros. The previous best performance by a qualifier at this event was Nadia Podoroska's semi-final run in 2020. Additionally, Chwalińska is the first woman in 53 years to reach the French Open final in her first main draw appearance, a feat previously achieved only by Evonne Goolagong in 1971 and Chris Evert in 1973.
Furthermore, she is only the third player to reach their first WTA final at a Grand Slam, joining the ranks of Venus Williams and Raducanu. Chwalińska is also the lowest-ranked player to reach the French Open final since the WTA Rankings began in 1975, being the first to do so from outside the top 100. The previous record was held by Florența Mihai (ranked 56 in 1977) and Iga Swiatek (ranked 54 in 2021). Only Raducanu (ranked 150 in 2021) has reached a major final from a lower ranking than Chwalińska. It is noteworthy that Kim Clijsters was unranked when she won the 2009 US Open. Following this tournament, Chwalińska is expected to rise to at least the 21st position in the rankings.
In the final, Chwalińska will compete against 19-year-old Russian player Mirra Andreeva on Sunday, June 6. A victory would make her the first female player to win the French Open after starting from the qualifiers and the lowest-ranked champion in the history of this clay court Grand Slam. Her opponent, Andreeva, is also aiming for a historic win, potentially becoming the youngest French Open champion of the 21st century and the fifth youngest overall.