Qualifier Chwalinska reaches semi-finals to continue dream French Open run

ByHarry Poole

BBC Sport journalist

Qualifier Maja Chwalinska continued her dream French Open run as she beat Anna Kalinskaya to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.

The world number 114 was left open-mouthed with shock after completing a superb 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win over 22nd seed Kalinskaya on a blustery Paris day.

Poland's Chwalinska is the second qualifier after Nadia Podoroska in 2020 to reach the singles semi-finals at Roland Garros.

She is only the sixth qualifier in the Open era to reach the women's singles semi-finals at a Grand Slam.

Only one - Britain's Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open - went on to win the title.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka could await Chwalinska the last four, with the Belarusian taking on Russian Diana Shnaider later on Wednesday.

"I honestly don't know what is going on," Chwalinska told the crowd.

"I know I repeat myself, but every match here is kind of crazy for me."

It is a remarkable run for Chwalinska, who arrived at the tournament with just two victories in WTA Tour-level main-draw matches under her belt.

Her sole Grand Slam match win came at Wimbledon in 2022 - but Chwalinska now finds herself on an eight-match winning streak on the Parisian clay, having dropped just one set on the way.

Everything appears to have clicked in place for a player who once feared she might have left the sport for good.

Chwalinska struggled with depression for two years and took an indefinite break from tennis after losing in the first round of qualifying at Wimbledon in 2021.

She did not know whether she would return at that point, having lost her enjoyment of training and competing.

With the support of the people around her, the openness of fellow players such as Naomi Osaka in speaking about their mental health, and brief attempts to enjoy other sports, Chwalinska found herself gradually gravitating back to the tennis court.

It has all led her to this moment of a first major semi-final - and a potential David-versus-Goliath showdown with title favourite Sabalenka.

In Paris, Chwalinska has played with infectious freedom and joyful creativity, beating two seeded players and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen along the way.

She kept her composure well against Kalinskaya, first having to reset after letting a 5-1 lead slip in the opener, before reeling off five straight points from 3-2 down in the resulting tie-break to take the lead.

She then held her nerve in the second, recovering from being broken as she tried to serve out victory before clinching her first match point on Kalinskaya's serve.

"I was definitely nervous. I am stressed, of course, but I try to focus on my job and my games," Chwalinska said.

"I am not focusing on confidence. I am playing against the best players in the world, so I will not compare myself to them."

Whatever happens in the semi-finals, Chwalinska is now projected to leap up the rankings and into the world's top 30.

By reaching the semi-finals, she has also secured prize money amounting to £647,700 - more than doubling her career total earnings of £642,400 in the space of 10 days.