5 Maja Chwalińska facts about French Open unranked semifinalist

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