Chwalińska reaches the 2026 French Open final as a qualifier

Maja Chwalińska, a Polish player who began the 2026 French Open far outside the top 100, reached the final at Roland Garros in Paris. The final was played on 6 June 2026.

She entered the main draw through three rounds of qualifying, the tournament for players not directly accepted. Reports described her as the first qualifier to reach the women's final at the French Open since the professional era began in 1968. Along the way she beat Diane Parry of France and Diana Shnaider, and she came back from a set down against Greece's Maria Sakkari. Her run marked her first deep progress at a Grand Slam.

In the final she faced Russia's Mirra Andreeva, and her run ended one match short of the title. The result lifted her to a new career-high ranking and made her the story of the tournament.

For Polish tennis, the run mattered beyond one player. It came at a time when Poland already had a global star in Iga Świątek, and it showed a wider group of Polish players making an impact at the highest level. That context is why it is often cited in discussions of the Polish tennis boom.