Polish tennis player Maja Chwalinska, ranked 114th globally, secured a spot in her first Grand Slam semifinal by defeating 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6(3), 6-3 at Court Philippe-Chatrier in the French Open. Chwalinska, aged 24, will now face the winner between world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 25 seed Diana Shnaider for a chance to reach the final.
In a closely fought match marked by intense rallies and momentum shifts, Chwalinska demonstrated composure in crucial moments to outplay the higher-ranked Kalinskaya and advance to the last four. She capitalized on her return opportunities, converting seven out of eight break-point chances, while Kalinskaya managed five out of 11. Despite Kalinskaya’s two aces, six double faults proved costly for her, keeping Chwalinska in contention throughout.
After initially trailing in the match, Chwalinska staged a comeback with successive breaks to lead 5-1, only to see Kalinskaya win four consecutive games. The set was eventually decided by a straightforward tie-break. Following a competitive first set, Chwalinska dominated the second set, winning 6-3 and securing her place in the next round.
The match remained closely contested throughout, with Chwalinska winning 82 total points compared to Kalinskaya’s 69 and claiming 43 receiving points. This victory marked Chwalinska’s eighth win at Roland Garros this year, a significant achievement for the 24-year-old qualifier who had never been ranked higher than No. 113.
Chwalinska’s remarkable journey at the French Open has made her only the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach the women’s singles semifinals at Roland Garros, following Nadia Podoroska’s feat in 2020. No qualifier has advanced to the French Open final in the Open Era, putting Chwalinska one step away from creating history.
