Chwalinska recounts Roland Garros run: 'I'll never forget these three weeks'

PARIS -- Simply, it wasn't Maja Chwalinska's day during the Roland Garros final on Saturday, falling to Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2.

"I wish you could see a better match today, but Mirra was just too good for me so I guess it's her fault," Chwalinska laughed to the crowd during her finalist's speech.

After Chwalinska had an early 3-2 lead in the opening set, Andreeva won nine consecutive games to close the first and build a 5-0 lead in the second. By that point, the two games Chwalinska did win the second set weren't enough to build a strong foundation for a comeback as the 19-year old Andreeva won her first career Grand Slam.

"I felt like I have no weapon against her today," Chwalinska added to press after the match. "She definitely handled wind much better than me, and she played so smart."

But the outcome of Saturday's final doesn't change the fact it's been a career-changing, whirlwind three weeks for the Polish qualifier. Chwalinska became just the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final, earning her first four top 50 wins in the process. She's also just third player in the Open Era to reach her first WTA level final at a Slam (Venus Williams, US Open 1997 and Emma Raducanu, US Open 2021). Notably, Chwalinska's six main draw wins to advance into the French Open final were as many as her tour-level main draw wins prior to this event.

Chwalinska leaves Paris with a check for €1.4 million ($1.625 million) in prize money, and with her 1300 ranking points for a finalist finish, she's projected to move to World No. 21 on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, 93 spots ahead of the No. 114 ranking she began the French Open with. She also admitted after her semifinal win that she didn't have many sponsors, so maybe she's opened the door for more?

"Definitely unforgettable three weeks for me," Chwalinska said to press. "Such a great time. I'll never forget these three weeks for sure. Definitely very challenging one today. Mirra was much better player today, and she deserved to win.

"I'm proud of my effort. I obviously gave my all. I think I can be proud of myself."

Even with defeating the ranks of Qinwen Zheng, Elise Mertens, Maria Sakkari, Diana Shnaider and more, Chwalinska said she didn't think she even played her best tennis throughout the three weeks in Paris.

Chwaliska said she's leaving Paris much more confident than she arrived, and she's ready to adapt to how her life on tour changes. With her expected increase in ranking, Chwalinska will have the opportunity to directly enter more tournaments. She's excited about what's to come, but knows that Roland Garros is in the past now, and it's time to move forward.

"I didn't feel like I'm playing my best tennis, which is kind of weird," Chwalinska said. "I feel like I gained a lot of confidence, because I've never really played against the high-ranked players before. It was the very first time that I face them.

"It will be different, for sure, but I think and I hope I'll adapt. I definitely will work hard, as I am working hard. I'll give my all to be better each and every day, and I'll see what the results will be. Definitely very grateful for this time, but it's in the past now. So I just need to continue to stay present and give my all to be a better player every day."

'That would be the news of the century'

After three weeks and 10 matches in Paris, Chwalinska is going on vacation to enjoy some time off before the Grass-Court swing. Chwalinska said in years past the grass has been a challenge for her, but finds that her slice and touch fit the surface, and she's able to cover the court solidly. Currently, she intends to only play Wimbledon during the grass season.

"I'm not going to play anything before grass, that's -- before Wimbledon, that's for sure," Chwalinska said. "I definitely need some time to recharge.

"Even before Roland Garros, I said that I need vacation after the tournament. So now it's three weeks that I'm kind of -- not waiting, because I wanted to be here -- but I just knew back in my head that I'm going for the vacation after French Open. Definitely need some time to recharge, and I'm going to play only Wimbledon this year."

With the Wimbledon entry cutoff date occurring before Roland Garros, Chwalinska is slated to play qualifiers because her ranking was No. 114 at the time. However, the tournament could give her a wild card, and in this case, she'd be projected to be seeded given her new rank on Monday. Despite her journey to the final in Paris, Chwalinska is not anticipating receiving a Wimbledon wild card.

"Well, I mean, that would be news of a century, you know," Chwalinska said. "Honestly, I don't expect it, I mean, I'll see. I will treat it as a challenge.

"It's a new surface. I don't have much time, but I'll give my all and we'll see. Grass is always a nice kind of change."

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