Chwalinska lives a dream in Paris: "I don't process it, I will have time to assimilate it later"

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Maja Chwalinska doesn't want to leave Roland Garros. After eight consecutive wins, starting from the Qualifying Rounds and reaching the semifinals, the Polish player has become the standout story of the tournament.

Today's challenge was against Anna Kalinskaya, not a clay court specialist, but with a substantial experience advantage. In the end, the result showed that in tennis, it's not always about rankings but the lack of fear of defeat. Today, Maja Chwalinska confirmed that she is living a perfect moment, revealing that she doesn't play like the world's 114th ranked player. With another giant step in this dream that doesn't end at Roland Garros, the Polish player advanced to the first official semifinal of her career, followed by an emotional press conference.

Maja Chwalinska reflects on her Roland Garros semifinal berth

"It was definitely a very tough match, the conditions were very challenging, there was a lot of wind today. In these types of conditions, you need to be very focused, even more focused. I feel that what I did well was to stay calm when I was up 5-1 and Anna started playing much more aggressively, which brought it to 5-5. I'm very proud that I kept my composure and managed to win that set. The second set was a battle, so I'm very happy that I won."

Comparing her story to that of Emma Raducanu

"It was an incredible journey, and she was very young. I think she was 19, right? Was she 18? And I also believe she didn't drop a set; it was impressive. I feel that the level is very even, the qualifying phase is not much weaker than the main draw. Qualifying players are also very good competitors; we just have to believe, fight, and think that maybe someday everything will fall into place for us. That's what I take from this experience."

Best not to dwell on her achievements

"I feel for some reason that I don't process it; I just focus on each match. Honestly, I don't feel like it's a huge moment for me, but definitely, when the tournament ends, I'll have time to appreciate what has happened and digest it. For now, I'm very happy, but I know I need to concentrate on the work."

Her sliced backhand, key to victory

"It's just my style of play; I try to change the pace a lot. I think it's pretty tough to play against this type of style because you never get into a rhythm and need to be very focused because each shot can be different. I know it can be very annoying for other players. I try to use it as much as I can."

Maja Chwalinska shares the moment she stepped away from tennis

"The break wasn't as tough; the difficult moments were before taking it. I was struggling a lot, initially I tried to push forward, thought I just needed to be strong, tough, and keep training, but there came a point where I couldn't even get out of bed anymore. Honestly, I felt lifeless. I knew I needed to stop because if not, I couldn't even live. I needed that rest, and honestly, I didn't know if I would come back or not. After a few months, I decided to return. I needed to sort some things out in my head, and I came back. I'm glad I did."

Handling media pressure in a Grand Slam

"I want to leave Roland Garros this year with no regrets; I want to give it my all, and I know that social media can be a bit overwhelming in these situations. So I try to give myself the best chance to play my best tennis. I'm very proud of the fact that it's a very long tournament. I've been here for almost three weeks, every day is different, every match is different, the conditions change. I had to adapt a lot, and I'm very happy that I could, I think that's something I can be proud of."

Achieving her dream... and her goals too

"My goal was to break into the Top 100 this year, that was the main target. Coming here, my goal was to qualify. I felt that I was doing a great job, that I was doing things right, and I just needed patience for everything to fall into place, but obviously, I didn't expect it to happen this way, although I'm not complaining. Obviously, I'm a bit tired, but that's normal. It's a Grand Slam, the adrenaline is very high. I can feel terrible, but then I step on the court, and it's a different story. No matter how I feel, everything will be fine."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Chwalinska vive un sueño en París: “No lo proceso, ya tendré tiempo para asimilarlo”