Before the French Open, Poland’s Maja Chwalińska had just $864,030 in total career earnings. After making the tournament’s final round, she’s set to earn $1,624,000 worth of prize money in just two weeks.
Chwalińska, who was WTA’s No. 114-ranked player prior to the French Open, defeated No. 25 Diana Schnaider 7–6, 6–4 in the semifinals, advancing all the way from the qualifying rounds to play for the ultimate trophy. As the first qualifier to ever make a French Open final, she’s set to face No. 8-ranked Mirra Andreeva out of Russia.
If Chwalińska wins the final, she will become just the second qualifier to ever win a Grand Slam, following Emma Raducanu’s 2021 US Open victory. Meanwhile, Andreeva could become the first Russian since Maria Sharapova at the 2014 French Open. At age 19, Andreeva is also the first teenager since Coco Gauff in 2023 to make a Grand Slam final.
Following Chwalińska’s quarterfinal win against Anna Kalinskaya, the Pole told reporters that she “struggled to pay” for her hotel, as she didn’t expect to be in Paris for so long and wouldn’t get her prize money paycheck until after the tournament. However, she said Polish sports nutrition brand Oshee (which she signed with during the tournament) stepped in to cover her lodging costs.
