“It’s Like Poetry,” Maja Chwalinska Shares Admiration for the Big 3 After Reaching Roland Garros Final

Maja Chwalinska has admitted that when she began playing tennis, she always looked up to Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, known as the Big 3. The 24-year-old began playing tennis at the age of 7. At that time, Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal were already Grand Slam champions and dominating the circuit.

When Chwalinska began her career at Dabrowa Gornicza in Poland, she dreamed of becoming like the Big 3 on tour. By 2009, when she was just 7, aiming to be a professional player one day, Federer had won 15 Grand Slams, Nadal had six in his trophy cabinet, while Djokovic had just won the 2008 Australian Open.

Fast forward to the present: Chwalinska is in her first Grand Slam final at the French Open, and Federer has retired from the sport after winning 20 Slams. Nadal, who retired in 2024, claimed 22 major titles, 14 of which came at Roland Garros, while Djokovic leads the men’s singles with the most Slams in the Open Era (24).

Chwalinska has the opportunity to become a Grand Slam champion like her idols. She needs just one win to make that happen at the Court Philippe-Chatrier. After defeating Diana Shnaider in straight sets on Thursday (June 4), only Mirra Andreeva stands in her way of becoming the first qualifier to win the French Open.

She will face Andreeva in the final on Saturday (June 6), a match she’s not the favorite to win, but with the number of upsets since the start of the tournament, she has a good chance of beating the eighth seed. Speaking to the media after beating Shnaider, she explained that she’s Federer’s number one fan and has always tried to learn things from the Big 3:

I was Roger’s number one fan. When I started playing tennis, everything revolved around Roger. And then Rafa and then Novak. I just pray that Novak keeps playing so that I can watch him play. I am very grateful to have grown up in this era, you know? Sometimes I go back to watch those old matches, and it’s like poetry, really. Nowadays, it’s more about watching my friends. Sometimes, if there’s a good match, I can watch it. I love watching Carlos or Jannik…

Five years ago, Chwalinska took an indefinite break from professional tennis to deal with a debilitating battle with depression. At that time, she had just one Grand Slam match win in her career. The hiatus lasted for about four months before she returned to the circuit. If she defeats Andreeva in the French Open final, she will break into the top 20 of the WTA rankings.

Maja Chwalinska admits nothing will change about her after French Open fame

Maja Chwalinska’s career is set to change. Even if she doesn’t win the French Open, she will be hailed and celebrated for reaching the final as a qualifier. She was ranked World No.114 before entering the Roland Garros, but she has risen to at least No.21 by just reaching the final, having racked up 1,300 points already.

Also, she will receive at least $1.625 million in prize money, which is notably $760,970 more than her career earnings of $864,030. She’s also going to get sponsorship and endorsement deals after the tournament. During the aforementioned press conference, she admitted that nothing would change after the French Open success:

For me, nothing changes, I just keep playing tennis. The scenario changed, but honestly, I just keep playing tennis and training. For me, nothing changes. I just want to win, whatever I’m playing, whatever the match. I also don’t want to pretend that anyone expected this leap. I was out of the top 100, and now I’m in the final of a Grand Slam, so I feel that it’s important.

Chwalinska will be able to compete in big tournaments without worrying about paying for the qualifiers for the rest of the season, if she can maintain her form. She competed in the ITA and WTA 125 events for most of last season, which means a couple of wins in events will see her climb up the rankings ladder.

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