Chwalinska, the 'Cinderella' of this Roland Garros: "I don't care who I play against, I am still the player with the lowest ranking"

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In this Roland Garros 2026, there is no need to wonder who the underdog of the draw is. The world No. 114, who had barely won a match in a Grand Slam, has made it to the quarterfinals. Her name is Maja Chwalinska.

The Polish player has secured seven victories in Paris, three from the qualifying rounds and four in the main draw. This has led the 24-year-old to exceed by far the expectations she could have brought to this Roland Garros, placing herself among the top eight in the tournament and guaranteeing her spot in the top 50 by the end of it. A dream come true that she doesn't want to wake up from, as next Wednesday she will face Anna Kalinskaya. These were her words after defeating Diane Parry and eliminating the last French player from the event.

Maja Chwalinska's story, the underdog of Roland Garros 2026

"Definitely, this is a huge surprise for me, and honestly, I did not expect it, so I am very happy. I tried to enjoy this moment today, but tomorrow we start preparing for the next round. Today I felt quite good, I felt much worse during the match against Maria. Today I was quite good, I think the weather also helps. I am very grateful that it is not as hot as before. So I feel good."

Her mindset during the tournament

"I just focus on each match; I knew that everyone here is a great player and very difficult to face, so I knew I needed to play my best tennis to beat them. I simply stayed focused from match to match. This year I had some tournaments where I clearly felt that my level was improving, so yes, there were some moments like that. I did not expect to reach the quarterfinals, but I felt that I was heading in the right direction."

Secured being top100 for the first time... and also top50

"It's great, my goal this season was to enter the top 100, and I am very happy to have achieved it already. But in tennis, you always want more; you reach one goal and immediately look for another. I am very grateful for this moment, but I definitely want more."

Opinion on Serena Williams' comeback

"It's amazing; it's a great story. She is a legend. There is not much more to say; she is the best tennis player in history. It's fantastic; I hope to see her around. Of course, I grew up watching her play, I even remember when I was about 9 years old and just starting to play tennis, she played a final against Henin, I think at the Australian Open. It's one of my early memories related to tennis."

The experience of playing on Chatrier

"I am very grateful for this opportunity; it is a beautiful court. During warm-up, I even took a photo of Rafa's plaque. I was very excited; I knew it was going to be a very difficult match, also because of the French crowd, but I think they were very respectful. They supported Diane, but also me; I am very grateful for that. I am definitely very happy for this experience."

What has changed to make this leap in quality?

"I started working with a new physical trainer last year, and I knew I needed time to adjust to the new training, but I feel that I have improved a lot. That allowed me to be much more aggressive on the court and maintain intensity for longer than before; I think that was the main difference."

Humility and ambition looking at the draw

"For me, it doesn't matter who I play against because I am still the player with the lowest ranking. You say the draw is open, but for me, all the players here are better ranked than me; they are the favorites, and I am the outsider. No one really knows me, so there isn't much of a story around me."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Chwalinska, la ‘cenicienta’ de este Roland Garros: “Me da igual contra quién juegue, sigo siendo la jugadora con peor ranking”