Polish Tennis Star Maja Chwalinska Writes History, Reaches Roland Garros 2026 Final

Poland's tennis sensation Maja Chwalinska etched her name in history by becoming the first qualifying player to reach the Roland Garros final in the modern era.

Chwalinska also joins an elite group of women who achieved this feat on their debut in the main draw, following in the footsteps of Evonne Goolagong (1971) and Chris Evert (1973).

"It's like a dream, to be honest. I don't know what's going on. I'm just very happy," Chwalinska said in an interview with the WTA.

Chwalinska credited her challenging journey in the tournament for motivating her to give her best performance in every match.

Initially ranked 113 in the world, Chwalinska's impressive performance has put her in contention to break into the world's top 20.

Chwalinska will face off against Mirra Andreeva in the final, a maiden meeting between the two players at the WTA level.

"I've played nine matches here, so there's no secret," she said.

Chwalinska revealed that she had watched Andreeva's games and was impressed with her opponent's performance.

"I will definitely give my best. This is a Grand Slam final," said the 24-year-old.

This achievement has drawn comparisons to Emma Raducanu's Cinderella story, where she won the US Open 2021 after reaching the main draw through qualifying.

Now, Chwalinska has the opportunity to cap off her journey in Roland Garros 2026 with a Grand Slam title, the first of her career.