Maja Chwalinska lost to Mirra Andreeva in the 2026 French Open final.
The Polish qualifier was no match for Andreeva, as she lost 6-3, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
How many Grand Slams does Mirra Andreeva win in her career? 🏆
Her unorthodox game style worked well against the likes of Qinwen Zheng, Maria Sakkari, and Diana Shnaider, but Andreeva dealt with it quite easily, using her power to great effect.
After the match, Chwalinska’s coach, Jaroslav Machovsky, delivered his verdict on her performance.
Jaroslav Machovsky says Maja Chwalinska can play ‘much better’ than she did in the French Open final
Appearing as a guest on ‘The Final by Hesperide‘, Machovsky offered his immediate reaction to the final.
“I still don’t believe what happened in these three weeks, because nobody expected this,” he said.
“We are happy; it’s a pity that she didn’t do it today, but it was incredible anyway.”
Maja Chwalinska vs Mirra Andreeva – Match stats
| Stats | Maja Chwalinska | Mirra Andreeva |
| Aces | 0 | 1 |
| Double faults | 2 | 2 |
| 1st Serve % | 69% | 78% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 46% | 58% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 20% | 67% |
| Break points | 3/8 | 7/12 |
Machovsky was then asked when he thought this tournament could be special.
“I can’t say when, but I believe in her,” he said.
“When she won the first round, I thought something would be possible, but I didn’t expect this!
“It’s a final, it’s a dream, and we tried our best, but she was already empty, and it’s a pity because she can play much better. The conditions were very tough, and Mirra [Andreeva] played very well.
“But it was a dream anyway.”
He then shared how Chwalinska can still improve.
“She has to work on going for it, going to the net, and she can change much more,” said Machovsky.
“Her game is very uncomfortable, but she has to believe it.
“She must have a lot of power, but sometimes when she doesn’t have it, it’s difficult for her to win against anybody.”
Chwalinska wasn’t quite able to win the French Open, although that shouldn’t take anything away from her remarkable tournament.
The Pole was ranked well outside the top 100 when the event began, but will be a top 25 player come Monday.
Live WTA Rankings
- 19. Sorana Cirstea – 2,317 points
- 20. Anna Kalinskaya – 2,212 points
- 21. Maja Chwalinska – 1,996 points
- 22. Elise Mertens – 1,918 points
- 23. Leylah Fernandez – 1,844 points
That opens up a world of new opportunities for Chwalinska.
She wasn’t sponsored for Roland Garros, wearing whatever clothes she saw fit, but will now surely have plenty of offers to mull over.
Not only that, but she has more than doubled her career prize money this tournament, which will ease any financial concerns, at least in the short term.
And, she has firmly placed herself in the conversation for a Wimbledon wild card.
Due to the cut-off date, Chwalinska would need to play qualifying without a wild card.
However, former British number one, Tim Henman believes Chwalinska has a good chance of receiving a Wimbledon wild card.
Considering Henman is a member of the board of directors at the All England Club, that’s a good sign.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday, June 29.
What Maja Chwalinska’s French Open fairy tale proved about women’s tennis
Before the tournament began, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff were the favourites to take the title.
But Chwalinska, who had most recently retired from a Challenger Tour event in Parma, went further than all the big names.
She proved that anything is possible, and that the gap between the lower-ranked players and the superstars of women’s tennis isn’t nearly as large as you would think.
Even in defeat to Andreeva, Chwalinska broke a top-10 player multiple times and showed how her tennis can be effective.
Any woman ranked outside the top-100 watching Chwalinska break through at Roland Garros might now have that extra bit of belief for the coming weeks and months.
Who knows? We might see another underdog story at Wimbledon or the US Open later this year…
