Over the last few years several surprise names have cropped up late in the French Open women’s draw. Last year it was home favourite Lois Boisson, only the third woman to make the semis of a grand slam on her main-draw debut. In 2022 it was the unseeded Martina Trevisan; in 2021, Tamara Zidansek.
All three of those pale in comparison to the fairytale story of Maja Chwalinska, the 24-year-old from Poland who dropped to the red clay in shock as she reached the Roland Garros final. Chwalinska (pronounced ‘hva-leen-ska’) has made history with an unprecedented run, winning nine matches to become the first qualifier to reach the final in Paris, and only the second to ever do it at a grand slam.
