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Maja Chwalinska came to Paris two weeks ago as a qualifier with low hopes and an unclear future. She is now a finalist in the French Open, one win away from finishing one of the most remarkable tales tennis has seen in recent memory.
The number of matches Chwalinska has won at Roland Garros is insufficient to gauge her level of accomplishment. Perhaps the easiest way to understand it is to look at a straightforward reality she encountered halfway through the tournament: she wasn't sure if she could afford to stay in Paris.
The 24-year-old Pole was ranked outside of the world's top players and entered the French Open without a sponsor. She disclosed a worry that few Grand Slam hopefuls ever have to consider after struggling through qualification and surprisingly making it to the fourth round.
“I hope there are still some rooms available out there… or that I have enough money,” Chwalinska admitted.
Even though Chwalinska won more money than she had ever earned at a single tournament, she still had expenses to pay in one of the most expensive cities in Europe because prize money in tennis does not often arrive right away.
The tennis community took notice of the remark right away. Soon after, Oshee, a Polish sports nutrition company, intervened to sponsor her and pay for her stay in Paris, so a player who had emerged as one of the tournament's highlights wouldn't have to spend her evenings worrying about hotel fees.
It is nearly incredible how ironic it is. Chwalinska has already won a payout that is almost twice as large as her total prior career earnings before she even takes the court for the championship match. She has won about $864,000 in prize money during her professional career prior to Roland Garros. She has assured herself of at least $1.6 million by making it to the title match.
However, money just provides a portion of the picture. This player's career seemed to be straying from the public eye. After undergoing extensive surgery in 2022, Chwalinska worked for years to recover her body and ranking. She needed to win three qualifying matches in order to qualify for the main draw after arriving in Paris ranked No. 114 in the world.
What transpired felt more like a real-time fairytale than a tennis match. She made it through qualifying. Then she continued to prevail. Then she continued to surprise opponents who were ranked higher. Chwalinska found it difficult to comprehend what was going on even in the second week.
“If someone had told me before the tournament that I would reach the round of 16, I probably wouldn’t have believed it,” she said.
Because she began in qualifying, Chwalinska has participated in three more games than the majority of her competitors. Before this past two weeks, she had never made it past the second round of a major. She has now put together one of Roland Garros' most impressive performances in recent memory.
She qualified for the final four with her victory over Anna Kalinskaya. She went all the way to the final match against Mirra Andreeva after another incredible performance against Diana Shnaider, which ensured a sharp increase in the rankings. The Pole is predicted to rise from No. 114 to about No. 30 in the globe when the updated rankings are made public.
Chwalinska's career was characterized by disappointments, injuries, and uncertainty for many years. It has been characterized by resiliency for a memorable two weeks in Paris.
Over the years, the French Open has produced numerous champions and iconic matches. However, sometimes the tournament's most memorable tales are not about well-known celebrities taking home medals, but rather about players who come with little more than hope and depart having changed their lives.
Maja Chwalinska was unsure if she could afford to stay in her hotel room for another night a few days ago. Now she is getting ready for a Grand Slam final.
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