Maja Chwalinska almost had the perfect ending to one of the biggest underdog stories in tennis history on Saturday.
Chwalinska, ranked 114th in the world, came through qualifying at Roland Garros before going on to make the final in what was an unbelievable run.
The Pole, 24, had won just one Grand Slam match in her career prior to the tournament, but managed to advance to the championship match in Paris while dropping just one set.
Ultimately, Chwalinska lost to Mirra Andreeva in the final, with the Russian clinching her first major title at 19.
How many Grand Slams titles does Mirra Andreeva have at the same age Aryna Sabalenka is now (28)?
The final, along with all of the shocking upsets in the draw, has led to criticism from fans about the consistency at the top of women’s tennis, which Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, weighed in on.
Patrick Mouratoglou reacts to criticism of the women’s final
In a post on Instagram, Mouratoglou said: “I disagree with the idea that a player who’s ranked 114 in the world is in the final of Roland Garros shows that women’s tennis is weak.
“The story of Chwalinska reminds me of the one of Valentin Vacherot in Shanghai, coming from the qualies, a player ranked out of the top 100, suddenly winning a Masters 1000, but it shows something. Everything is mental.
“And when someone suddenly starts to win matches, starts to believe, everything becomes possible. Suddenly, things happen. Tennis is such a mental game. That’s what it says.
“Another interesting story, the one of Thomas Johansson. I had the story from his coach. He said to me the whole Australian swing in 2002, he played so bad.
Prove me wrong – Aryna Sabalenka WILL NOT win a Grand Slam in 2026
She has two attempts left…
“He didn’t even want to go to the Australian Open and he said to his coach, I want to go back home. I’m done. I cannot win one match. It’s terrible.
“His coach convinced him to go to the Australian Open and he wins the Australian Open. It’s crazy.
“The guy went to the Australian Open with zero expectations. Zero. Same story of people who say, I will retire at the end of the season.
“Suddenly they don’t feel the pressure to play well anymore because it’s their last season. Sometimes they play the best tennis of their lives.
“Tennis is such a mental game, and expectations are your biggest opponent. Always.”
Maja Chwalinska’s new ranking after making the final in Paris
With her run to the French Open final, Chwalinska’s life will change completely, having earned €1.4m, which is almost double what she had earned previously in her career.
It will also change massively in terms of her schedule on the WTA Tour, with Chwalinska now set to be seeded for several big tournaments with a new ranking.
In the live WTA rankings, Chwalinska has moved up 93 places from 114th to the world number 21, surpassing the likes of Emma Navarro, Leylah Fernandez and Madison Keys.
Her ranking will see her seeded for Grand Slams for the first time in her career, meaning she won’t have to come through qualifying.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
