Maja Chwalińska reached her first Grand Slam semifinal on Wednesday, defeating world No. 24 Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets at Roland Garros.
The Polish qualifier's win marks one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 French Open so far.
Maja Chwalińska Battles Past Tough Conditions at Roland Garros
Chwalińska handled gusty winds to earn a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory on the French Open court. The 24-year-old lefty jumped out to a 5-1 lead early in the opening set, before Kalinskaya fought back to level it at 5-5.
But Chwalińska kept her nerve, netting five straight points to win the tie-break and secure the frame.
From there, Chwalińska steadied herself, coming from behind in the second set to break her opponent twice and win the match.
"I honestly don't know what is going on," Chwalińska told the crowd in her postmatch interview. "I know I repeat myself, but every match here is kind of crazy for me."
French Open Qualifier to Face Diana Shnaider in 2026 Semifinals
Currently ranked No. 114, Chwalińska is playing in her Roland Garros main-draw debut. She is only the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach the women's French Open semifinals in Paris. The first was Nadia Podoroska in 2020.
Before this tournament, Chwalińska had never beaten a WTA Top 50 opponent. Now, she's racked up three Top 50 wins in just two weeks, including victories over No. 21 Elise Mertens and No. 49 Maria Sakkari.
The run already guarantees her a spot in the WTA's Top 30 when the rankings update publishes next week. That far surpasses her original season goal of cracking the Top 100.
She'll next face Diana Shnaider, after the No. 23 upset No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the pair's Wednesday French Open quarterfinal match.
