Historic chance for a Polish player at Roland Garros: Opponent upset Aryna Sabalenka

Maja Chwalińska’s remarkable run at Roland Garros has become one of the tournament’s most surprising stories. The 24-year-old from Dąbrowa Górnicza, who fought her way into the main draw through qualifying, has stunned not only tennis experts but also her own family and longtime supporters. After reaching the semifinals in Paris, her parents, Tomasz and Marcela Chwalińscy, said they were overwhelmed by emotion and could hardly find words to describe what their daughter has achieved.

Speaking to Polish reporters in Paris, the parents admitted they never imagined that Chwalińska would advance this far in the French Open, even in their wildest dreams. Their extended stay in the city is due in part to the goodwill of people back home, and her mother joked that the family’s vacation arrangements had already been handled thanks to support from her workplace. Marcela Chwalińska also said she was able to watch the quarterfinal from the stands, calling it an emotionally difficult but rewarding experience. She added that although she could not shout during the match, she felt every moment intensely.

According to her parents, the biggest sign of Chwalińska’s strength is how little visible stress she shows on court. They said she remains calm, focused, and mentally composed regardless of the stage of the tournament. Even on a day with major stakes, they said, she was still behaving like she was preparing for an ordinary match, down to eating scrambled eggs at breakfast.

Chwalińska’s success has also deeply affected her longtime manager and club founder, Piotr Szczypka, who admitted that Wednesday’s quarterfinal pushed him close to the limits of his nerves. He described being especially anxious when Chwalińska’s early 5:1 lead in the first set slipped to 5:5, but said she handled the tense tiebreak brilliantly. Szczypka praised her for surviving the pressure and said the achievement is the reward for everything she has endured. He also reminded that reaching the semifinals is not the end goal, but another step toward an even bigger challenge.

Before the tournament, Szczypka had promised that if Chwalińska reaches the final, he would jump into the Seine in Paris. After her quarterfinal victory, he said he has no intention of backing out of the promise, joking that, as a man from Silesia, he has done many things in life and that the jump would not be a problem.

Looking ahead, Chwalińska is set to face Diana Shnaider, the world No. 23, in Thursday’s semifinal. Her camp is not underestimating the opponent, but Szczypka believes Chwalińska’s greatest weapon is not just her tennis, but her character. He described her as a player who stands apart from today’s materialistic world, someone who never focused on money and instead invested everything she had into her career. He said her humility, determination, and emotional connection to the sport could give her an edge on the biggest court of all. The semifinal is scheduled to begin around 5 p.m., after the first women’s semifinal on Court Philippe Chatrier.