5 Maja Chwalińska facts about French Open unranked semifinalist

[ASFN Admin]

If you're see the name Maja Chwalińska in the semifinals of the 2026 French Open, you might be wondering who she is after a quarterfinals win over Anna Kalinskaya and a defeat of another ranked opponent (Elise Mertens) back in the second round.

That's what we're here to do. As we await to see who will play against her -- that would be the winner of top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Diana Shnaider -- we're giving you some facts about the unranked breakout star of Roland Garros.

Here's what we know about her:

Where is Maja Chwalińska from?​

She was born in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland. She's 24 years old, and she's ranked 114th in the world in singles.

Has she ever gotten this far in a Grand Slam?​

No. Her previous best was the second round of Wimbledon in 2022 after making it as a qualifier. But she won a lot as a junior including making it to the Australian Open girls' doubles final.

She's a left-handed tennis player​

What a moment for Maja!!

The dream run continues for the world No.114 #RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/MYxebJdnef

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2026

As you know, that means a forehand is her backhand and vice versa.

How she found tennis​

Per TVP World, she's the daughter of a miner who " picked up a tennis racket at age seven after being spotted through a school recruitment program. "

She's battled with her mental health​

The moment Maja Chwalinska became a Roland Garros semifinalist

The 2nd qualifier in the Open Era to reach the SF

In 2021, she took a break from tennis after struggling with her mental health

She didn’t know if she’d pick up a racquet again

Surreal pic.twitter.com/1cLLjddf8V

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 3, 2026

Back when she was 19, she stepped away from tennis and spoke openly about a battle with depression. From WTA Tennis in 2022:

"In 2019 I started to feel bad," she recalls. "First on the court, but after I also started to feel bad off the court, and it led me to depression. Something I enjoyed the most suddenly became a source of suffering. I associated tennis with pressure, stress and crying.

"I was dealing with that until last year's Wimbledon, when I decided to take a break. I didn't know that I would come back, to be honest, because things were not fine. There were dark thoughts. It was tough to even leave the house. I didn't have any desire for anything."

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Who is Maja Chwalinska? Facts about French Open unranked semifinalist

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