Maja Chwalinska Stays Humble Despite Roland Garros Quarterfinal Run: “I Am Still the Player with Lowest Ranking”

Before this French Open, Maja Chwalinska had played just two Grand Slam events. She made her main draw debut at the 2022 Wimbledon and didn’t qualify for another Major until last year’s Australian Open.

In those two events, she couldn’t progress to the third round. But now, the Pole will be playing in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. The 24-year-old, after playing the qualifying rounds and knocking out 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist Qinwen Zheng on her Roland Garros main draw debut, has progressed to the last eight after breezing past Diane Parry.

Chwalinska currently sits in the 114th spot in the rankings table, but in the live rankings, she has already reached her career-best No. 49 after her quarterfinal run. She will next be locking horns with Anna Kalinskaya, who defeated Anastasia Potapova after a third-set tie-breaker.

It’s great; my goal this season was to enter the top 100, and I am very happy to have achieved it already. But in tennis, you always want more; you reach one goal and immediately look for another. I am very grateful for this moment, but I definitely want more.

Maja Chwalinska said at the press conference

Chwalinska will be meeting Kalinskaya for the first time in her career. The Russian ace, who is a one-time quarterfinalist in Majors, will also be playing the Roland Garros quarterfinal for the first time in her career.

For me, it doesn’t matter who I play against because I am still the player with the lowest ranking. You say the draw is open, but for me, all the players here are better ranked than me; they are the favorites, and I am the outsider. No one really knows me, so there isn’t much of a story around me.

Maja Chwalinska added

The winner of the Kalinskaya versus Chwalinska match will face Diana Shnaider or World No.1 and last year’s runner-up Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal. Among those reaching the quarterfinals, the only player who has won a Grand Slam singles title is the Belarusian ace, the winner of four Major singles titles.

Maja Chwalinska on Serena Williams’ comeback

Serena Williams has confirmed through a Nike video that she will be making her comeback. The rumors of her return started when she entered the drug testing pool last December.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion will be playing doubles alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko at the Queen’s Club Championships, the main draw of which starts on June 8th. But she has yet to confirm her return to singles. Maja Chwalinska, after her fourth-round win, was asked about Williams’ comeback to the tour.

It’s amazing; it’s a great story. She is a legend. There is not much more to say; she is the best tennis player in history. It’s fantastic; I hope to see her around. Of course, I grew up watching her play; I even remember when I was about 9 years old and just starting to play tennis, she played a final against [Justine] Henin, I think at the Australian Open. It’s one of my early memories related to tennis.

Williams hung up her racket at the 2022 US Open after losing her third-round match. She last won a Major at the 2017 Australian Open by defeating her sister Venus Williams.

But she played her last Grand Slam final at the 2019 US Open, losing the match to Bianca Andreescu. Williams last won a title at the 2020 ASB Classic by defeating Jessica Pegula.

Venus, 45, has not yet hung up her racket. The last time she played in singles was at the Madrid Open, where Kaitlin Quevedo defeated her in the first round.

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