Historic Upset at the French Open

Wednesday marked a significant moment at the French Open.

Maja Chwalinska, currently ranked 114th in women’s singles, pulled off an impressive victory against Anna Kalinskaia, who sits at 22nd, winning in straight sets to move on to the semifinals.

This achievement makes Chwalinska the second female player to reach the semifinals after going through the qualifying rounds.

She is also the sixth player overall to advance from qualifiers to the semifinals in a Grand Slam tournament.

Interestingly, of these six players, only one—Emma Laducanu—managed to win the 2021 US Open.

Chwalinska has now notched eight consecutive wins at Roland Garros. She won the first set in a tiebreak but dominated the second set with a score of 6-3.

“Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on,” Chwalinska shared with the BBC following her victory. “I came here just wanting to qualify. I felt like I was on the right path, but I needed to be patient. I didn’t expect this, but I’m not complaining.”

Chwalinska debuted professionally at the 2019 Fed Cup and secured her first major win at Wimbledon in 2022. However, she faced challenges with depression and took a two-year break from competition.

Returning to the circuit wasn’t an easy decision for her.

“It was really tough. Initially, I pushed myself, but I realized I had to get stronger and keep practicing,” she reflected. “Eventually, it got so bad that I couldn’t get out of bed. I felt completely drained. I needed to sort through some things mentally. A few months later, I came back. I’m really glad I did.”

In the semifinals, Chwalinska will meet another player who recently pulled off a major upset: No. 25 Diana Schneider, who overcame No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka in a challenging three-set match.