Maja Chwalińska’s unexpected run at Roland Garros continued as the Polish player, ranked 114th in the WTA standings, reached the semifinals after an impressive string of victories in Paris. Chwalińska won three qualifying matches to enter the main draw, then produced a series of strong performances against higher-ranked opponents. Her wins included triumphs over Qinwen Zheng, Elise Mertens, Maria Sakkari, Diane Parry and Anna Kalinskaya, marking one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
Her next challenge was Diana Shnaider, the Russian world No. 23, who entered the match as the favorite on paper. Shnaider had also built a notable path through the French Open, defeating Renata Zarazua, McCartney Kessler, Oleksandra Oliynykova, Madison Keys and, in a major upset, Aryna Sabalenka. The matchup highlighted two players in strong form, though Shnaider’s ranking and earlier results made her the more established contender.
The article also referenced a comment from Mats Wilander, who revealed a “secret” behind Chwalińska’s success and noted that “no one does this,” suggesting there was something unusual about her approach or preparation that may be contributing to her breakthrough. While the specific detail of Wilander’s observation was not fully explained in the excerpt, the remark added extra interest to Chwalińska’s surprising progress.
The match between Chwalińska and Shnaider was scheduled to begin around 4:30 p.m., with live coverage available through Przegląd Sportowy Onet. The result shown in the excerpt indicated a close contest, with the first set ending 7-6 and the second 6-4 in favor of Shnaider, though the article’s main focus remained on Chwalińska’s remarkable tournament run and the attention it drew.
Chwalińska’s performance at Roland Garros stands out as a breakthrough moment in her career. Coming through qualifying and then beating a long list of seeded or higher-ranked opponents showed both resilience and consistency on one of tennis’s biggest stages. Even before the final outcome of the semifinal was known, her achievement had already made her one of the most talked-about players in the women’s draw.
