The Chwalinska story turns serious: a straight-sets win over Kalinskaya takes her to the Roland-Garros semi-finals
Maja Chwalinska, 24, world No. 114, came through qualifying and has now beaten Anna Kalinskaya (No 22) 7-6(3), 6-3 to reach the Roland-Garros semi-finals – eight consecutive wins in Paris, one set dropped across qualifying and main draw, Kalinskaya broken seven times in two sets.
Maja Chwalinska, Roland-Garros 2026 | © Ch. Caillaud / PsNewz
Maja Chwalinska, the 24-year-old Polish qualifier ranked No. 114 in the world, beat Russian 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6(3), 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday morning to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career – extending the most remarkable run of the women’s tournament with the eighth consecutive win of her Paris fortnight, and becoming the first qualifier to reach a Roland-Garros semi-final since Nadia Podoroska in 2020. She will be in the Top 30 in the worst case scenario on Monday. This is close to a fairy tale.
The numbers told the story of Kalinskaya as much as Chwalinska. The Russian, the higher seed and the more experienced player at this stage of a major, hit 36 winners to 24 from the Pole, but undid the difference with 47 unforced errors against Chwalinska’s 15.
The second-serve gap
The second-serve gap was the most decisive single number: Kalinskaya won only six of 24 second-serve points, and Chwalinska won three quarters of the second-serve returns she had to play. The break-point conversion did the rest. Kalinskaya saved one of eight break points across the match – she was broken seven times in two sets.
The arc the Polish qualifier has now built is the kind that defines a major: from zero career top-50 wins before the tournament to three of them this fortnight – Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen, Belgian 23rd seed Elise Mertens, and Kalinskaya. She is the fourth Polish woman in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam semi-final, after Agnieszka Radwanska, Iga Świątek and Magda Linette – Świątek being her former junior doubles partner. She is also the first left-handed player to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Markéta Vondroušová at Wimbledon 2023.
Chwalinska will face the winner of top seed Aryna Sabalenka against Russian 25th seed Diana Shnaider in the semi-finals on Thursday. Sabalenka, who beat Naomi Osaka in straight sets on Monday evening, is the heavy favourite to come through and to face Chwalinska in the last four – a contest the bookmakers will price as one-sided and that, on the evidence of the past two weeks, Chwalinska will not be approaching that way.
