Andre Agassi Sends a Special Message to Maja Chwalinska After her Memorable Roland Garros Campaign

Little did anyone expect that this year the Roland Garros final would feature a Polish contestant other than Iga Swiatek.

While four-time champion Swiatek’s early exit from Roland Garros this year was a major disappointment for Polish fans, Maja Chwalinska‘s remarkable journey from qualifying to the final gave them renewed hope.

Chwalinska had only won one main-draw Grand Slam match prior to her campaign in Paris this year. She was ranked No. 114 when she entered the tournament, had no sponsor, and struggled to pay her hotel bills until the Polish hydration company OSHEE stepped in to help her financially.

Although her fairytale run was snapped by World No. 8 Mirra Andreeva in the final, Chwalinska’s story is a huge inspiration for all, and 8-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi had a beautiful message for her during the TNT Sports USA segment:

You qualified and got to the finals, one of the toughest, toughest challenges in all of our sport. I don’t think people fully appreciate what that actually means when you start in qualifying and you have to win match after match just to get into the main draw, and then you keep winning against players who are established at this level. That is extremely difficult to do, physically and mentally. Don’t be distracted by those articles, don’t be distracted by wins and losses. Because what happens is people will try to define you based on a couple of weeks or a couple of matches, and that is not how you build anything sustainable in this sport. Keep making yourself better because you’re a gift to the sport.

Maja Chwalinska got a special message from @AndreAgassi after her incredible #RolandGarros run 🥹👏 pic.twitter.com/XbMgVyUbzS

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) June 7, 2026

With her smart tactics and heavy use of variety, Chwalinska defeated several higher-ranked opponents like Qinwen Zheng, Maria Sakkari, and Diana Shnaider to become only the second qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final.

However, the nine matches she played on her way to the final did wear her down physically when she went on to face a top-10 opponent for the first time in her career in the Roland Garros final. With her baseline stability and tactical composure under windy conditions, Andreeva absorbed Chwalinska’s tricky spin variations and went on to seal the win in straight sets, and win her maiden Grand Slam final.

Maja Chwalinska nearly doubles her career prize money earnings

Maja Chwalinska is only the third Polish woman in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final after Agnieszka Radwanska and Iga Swiatek. With her sensational Roland Garros run, the 24-year-old will nearly double her career prize money earnings.

Prior to the tournament, Chwalinska had earned $861,237 in her career, and after her runner-up finish, she pocketed $1,636,068. Chwalinska has also surged to World No. 21 in the WTA rankings. Despite the new ranking, her Wimbledon wildcard still remains a dilemma. The tournament entry list closed before her incredible Paris run, leaving her hoping for a wildcard or to play the qualifying rounds.

The problem comes down to timing. Wimbledon’s main-draw entry list was finalized six weeks before the event using the rankings from 18 May, with the cutoff falling around World No. 101. At that point, Chwalinska was ranked No. 114 and missed direct entry.

Her run to the Roland Garros final came after the entry deadline, meaning it could not be factored into the list. Although her new ranking would comfortably secure a place in the main draw, the entry list had already been locked.

As a result, her routes into the main draw are limited to receiving a wildcard from the All England Club, advancing through qualifying, or benefiting from enough withdrawals to move off the alternate list.

Also Read: Roland Garros’ Finalist Maja Chwalinska Not Sure of Getting a Wildcard for the Wimbledon Championships