Maja Chwalinska creates history as first qualifier to reach French Open final, sets title clash against Mirra Andreeva
Paris, June 5
Maja Chwalinska's fairytale run at Roland Garros continued on Thursday night as the qualifier defeated Diana Shnaider to become the first player in the tournament's history to reach the women's singles final after advancing through qualifying.
Chwalinska will now face Mirra Andreeva with the opportunity to claim her maiden Grand Slam title. The 24-year-old secured her place in the championship match after defeating No. 25 seed Diana Shnaider 7-6(4), 6-4 in a hard-fought semifinal lasting 2 hours and 10 minutes.
With the victory, Chwalinska became the first qualifier in tournament history to reach the Roland Garros women's singles final. She is also only the third woman to advance to the final in her main-draw debut in Paris, following the achievements of Evonne Goolagong in 1971 and Chris Evert in 1973.
"It's like a dream, honestly. I don't know what's going on. I don't know what to say. I'm just very happy. It's so challenging to play against the best players in the world, day by day, but it's a Grand Slam, so you just have to give your all and more. I'm not complaining at all," Chwalinska said as per the WTA Tour website.
Chwalinska arrived in Paris with a career-best ranking of World No. 113 and is now knocking on the door of a Top 20 debut. It will be the first meeting between Chwalinska and Andreeva. It will also mark Chwalinska's first career meeting with a Top 10 opponent.
"I played (nine) matches here already, so there are no secrets," Chwalinska said. "But I watched Mirra a bit. They were playing before us, so I watched her game, and it was incredible. It's just another great experience for me. I will for sure give my all. It's a Grand Slam final."
Meanwhile, Andreeva ended Marta Kostyuk's 17-match winning streak to reach her maiden Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, becoming the third-youngest player this century to advance to the French Open title match.
No. 8 seed Mirra Andreeva needed just 76 minutes to secure a place in the first Grand Slam final of her career at Roland Garros, defeating No. 15 seed Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 to end the Ukrainian's 17-match winning streak.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally, some fresh faces in the women's final! 😊 We've been seeing the same top names for too long. Chwalinska's hard work and Andreeva's confidence are so refreshing. I hope this inspires more players from smaller tennis nations. Also, that line—"I played nine matches here, so there are no secrets"—she's ready! 💪
Respect to Kostyuk for her 17-match win streak, but Andreeva ended it in style. Only 76 minutes! This kid is special. But I'm rooting for Chwalinska—she's the ultimate underdog. Qualifier to finalist... sounds like a movie script! 📽️
Chwalinska's story is incredible, but let's not forget Andreeva—she's the youngest in years to reach this stage. It'll be a clash of pure talent vs. relentless determination. Either way, history is being made. Tennis is better when new stars shine! 🇫🇷
I'm happy for her, but I have to say—this says a lot about the current state of women's tennis. Where are the consistent champions? Swiatek didn't even make the final. Still, Chwalinska's achievement is massive. Qualifier to finalist at Roland Garros? That's legendary stuff. 👏
Love seeing underdogs succeed! ❤️ Chwalinska seems so humble and hardworking. That quote about giving "your all and more" really hits home. And Andreeva—w
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.