The world No. 114 defeated another Russian player and advanced to the Roland Garros final
One of the biggest upsets of the year continues at Roland Garros. Polish tennis player Maja Chwalinska, who was ranked only 114th in the world before the tournament began, has advanced to the final of the French Open.
In the semifinals, the Polish player confidently defeated Russian Diana Schneider and will now compete for her first Grand Slam title.
24-year-old Maja Chwalinska has become the biggest surprise of the women’s draw at Roland Garros 2026. The Polish tennis player, who made it to the main draw through qualifying, took another major step in her career and reached the final of the prestigious tournament in Paris.
In the semifinal match, Hwalinska faced Russia’s Diana Schneider, who is ranked 23rd in the world. Despite her opponent’s status as the favorite, it was the Polish player who looked more confident at the decisive moments of the match.
The match was decided by a few points
The first set was very tense. The players were unable to determine who was stronger for a long time, so the set went to a tiebreak. There, Chwalinska played almost flawlessly and won it 7-4. The second set was also a close battle.
With the score at 4-4, the Polish player managed to make a crucial break. After that, she calmly served out the match and secured the victory. The final score of the match was 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. For Hwalinska, this is the biggest victory of her career.
Another Russian player exits the tournament
Interestingly, Schneider is now the second Russian tennis player in a row that the Polish player has knocked out of the tournament. In the quarterfinals, Hwalinska defeated Anna Kalinskaya, and now she has also defeated Schneider.
In total, the Polish athlete has already secured nine consecutive victories at this year’s Roland Garros. She recorded three of them during the qualifying rounds, after which she continued her winning streak in the main draw of the tournament.
A Historic Achievement
Reaching the final was a historic result not only for the tennis player herself but also for the entire tournament. Hwalinska became only the second player in the Open Era to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament after starting in the qualifiers. Emma Raducanu was the first to achieve this feat at the 2021 US Open.
At that time, the British player not only reached the final but also sensationally won the tournament. Now the Polish tennis player has a chance to follow in her footsteps.
Who awaits the Polish player in the final
In the decisive match at Roland Garros, Hwalinska will face Russian Mirra Andreeva. The day before, Andreeva defeated Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk and also advanced to the final.
The final match will take place on Saturday, June 6. For Hwalinska, this will be the first Grand Slam final of her career. Regardless of the outcome, she has already written one of the most sensational stories of the current tennis season. Just a few weeks ago, the Polish player was fighting for a spot in the main draw through qualifying. Now she is one step away from the biggest title of her life.
On Thursday, June 4, Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk, who defeated Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, will play in the semifinals of the 2026 French Open. The Ukrainian’s opponent will be Russian player Mira Andreeva. The match will determine one of the finalists of the prestigious Grand Slam tournament in Paris.
Svitolina also confidently defeated an American player and advanced to the round of 16 at Indian Wells.
Sobolenko lost in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros.
