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Chwalińska's French Open fairytale ends one match short

06.06.2026 17:00
Poland’s Maja Chwalińska has been defeated by Russian Mirra Andreeva in the Roland Garros final.
Maja Chwalińska of Poland during her Womens final match against Mirra Andreeva of Russia at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 6 June 2026.
Maja Chwalińska of Poland during her Women's final match against Mirra Andreeva of Russia at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 6 June 2026. Photo: EPA/YOAN VALAT/PAP/EPA.

The Polish qualifier lost 3-6, 2-6 to the eighth-seeded Andreeva in Saturday’s final of the French Open, one of tennis’s four Grand Slam tournaments.

The match lasted one hour and 22 minutes.

The tournament marks a career milestone for both players, as neither had previously reached a Grand Slam final.

Nineteen-year-old Andreeva became the first teenager to win the Roland Garros title since Poland’s Iga Świątek in 2020.

For Chwalińska, despite the defeat, the breakthrough run in Paris will propel her to a career-high No. 21 in the world rankings on Monday—an impressive leap of 93 places.

The 24-year-old Pole is set to receive prize money of €1.4 million for reaching the final.

In an era dominated by power hitters, the left-handed Chwalińska has captivated spectators with a game built on variety, touch and tactical intelligence.

Only one qualifier had previously reached a Grand Slam final in the Open Era - Emma Raducanu at the 2021 U.S. Open, a tournament the Briton went on to win.

Chwalińska has made history as the first qualifier advancing to a Rolland Garos final since the professional era began in 1968.


(mo)

Source: PAP