Some journeys transcend sport. Maja Chwalinska's is one of them. When the Polish player announced in 2021, at just 19, that she was stepping away from tennis to battle severe depression she had endured since late 2019, few imagined what would follow.
Five years later, the left-hander from Miechów was playing in the Roland-Garros final.
The comeback was anything but straightforward. After months away from the courts, Chwalinska rebuilt her career through ITF events and WTA 125 tournaments, accumulating three titles at the latter level and seven at the former. A quiet reconstruction, far from the spotlight.
In Paris, everything changed. Entering through qualifying ranked world No. 114, she toppled opponent after opponent to make history as the first qualifier ever to reach the Roland-Garros final, and only the second qualifier to play a Grand Slam final after Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open.
The final against Mirra Andreeva ended in a 6-3, 6-2 defeat, but the scoreline barely dents the achievement. In two weeks, Chwalinska soared from No. 114 to No. 21, a leap of 93 places.
There is a detail that makes this story even more compelling. Before the depression, before the minor circuits, Chwalinska was winning European junior doubles titles alongside Iga Swiatek. Together, they claimed the European 14-and-under in 2015 and 16-and-under championships in 2016, plus the Junior Fed Cup.
Swiatek realized the Grand Slam dream first, at Roland-Garros in 2020. Six years later, Chwalinska walked onto the same Philippe-Chatrier court for a final. At 24, she is no longer a comeback story. She is a top-25 player with a journey no one can take away.
