Maja Chwalinska described her three weeks in Paris as unforgettable, even though she fell short in the final against Mirra Andreeva. “Such a great time, I’ll never forget these three weeks for sure. Mera was the better player today and she deserved to win, but I’m proud of my effort. I gave my all and I think I can be proud of myself too,” she said.
Adapting to new realities
The Polish player acknowledged that her life will change after this breakthrough. “It will be different for sure, but I think and I hope I’ll adapt. I’ll work hard as I am now, give my all to be better each and every day, and see what the results will be. I’m very grateful for this time, but it’s in the past now, so I just need to stay present,” she explained.
Confidence gained
Chwalinska admitted she had never faced so many high-ranked opponents before. “I didn’t feel like I was playing my best tennis, which is kind of weird, but I gained a lot of confidence because I had never really played against top players before. It was the very first time I faced them, and definitely I gained a lot of confidence,” she noted.
Grass court challenge
Looking ahead, she is preparing for the grass season. “Last year it was a struggle for me on grass, honestly, but before I loved playing on it. I feel like I can use a lot of touch and slices, I move pretty well and anticipate well. It’s always exciting because it’s such a short period of time, but I’m ready for the challenge,” she said.
Coping with nerves
The 24-year-old admitted nerves were a constant companion during her run. “I was stressed before every single match, to be honest. I couldn’t eat for the last three weeks. My coaches were eating pizza and I was like no. So I’m actually excited to finish the tournament and maybe the joy of eating will come back,” she revealed with a smile.
Facing Andreeva in the final
Chwalinska praised her opponent’s composure in difficult conditions. “All credit to Mera because she’s such an incredible player, so solid. She handled the conditions much better than me and 100% deserved to win today,” she admitted. She added that she felt she had “no weapon” against Andreeva in the decisive moments.
Inspiration for others
Her run, she hopes, will inspire players outside the top 100. “I know many great players ranked outside the top 100. It’s such a thin line now, a lot of things need to click. I hope my story these last days was inspiring for them,” she said. Reflecting on her own journey, she added: “It’s been 18 years of hard work, patience and perseverance. Life’s weird sometimes, you just have to do your thing and believe it will click someday, and I’m happy that it did.”
Looking forward
Chwalinska confirmed she will take a break before Wimbledon. “I’m not going to play anything before grass, that’s for sure. I need some time to recharge. Even before Roland-Garros I said I need vacation after the tournament. Now it’s three weeks that I wasn’t waiting because I wanted to be here, but I knew in my head I was going for vacation after the French Open,” she concluded.
Maja Chwalinska in 2026
Now ranked no.114, Chwalinska played her last match on the 6th of June when she lost to world no.8 Mirra Andreeva 6-3 6-2 in the final of the French Open (draw).
Presently, during this year Chwalinska owns a composed 29-11 match record. Chwalinska clinched 1 title in the Oeiras. The Pole was the runner-up at the French Open.
