Maja Chwalińska’s historic breakthrough to the Roland Garros semifinals as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is eliminated
Polish qualifier Maja Chwalińska surged from the qualifying rounds to the semifinals of the French Open, becoming only the fourth Polish woman to reach that stage in the Open Era. After victories over Qinwen Zheng, Elise Mertens, Maria Sakkari and Diane Parry, she defeated Anna Kalinskaya 7‑6(3), 6‑3 in the quarterfinals to join the last four. Her run triggered a surge in public interest, a new sponsorship deal with the Polish sports drink brand Oshee, and a request to the Wimbledon organizers for a wild‑card entry.
In the same tournament, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock quarter‑final loss to 25th‑seed Diana Shnaider. Sabalenka led the first set 6‑3 and was up 4‑1 in the second, but Shnaider rallied to win 3‑6, 7‑5, 6‑0, ending Sabalenka’s streak of six consecutive Grand‑Slam semifinals. Sabalenka later said she felt “like quitting tennis” after the defeat. Shnaider will meet Chwalińska in the semifinals.
The French Open thus saw a major upset of the top seed and a remarkable under‑dog story that captured attention across Poland, Belarus, Russia and the broader tennis world.