When Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, the tennis world believed it had witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime event. Five years later, Maja Chwalińska is contesting the Roland Garros final having come through qualifying. The most exclusive club in women's tennis now has a second member.
The numbers explain why the feat is so rare. A qualifier must win three qualifying rounds before even entering the main draw, then seven more matches to reach the final. Ten consecutive victories, against opponents of vastly different levels, with fatigue accumulating and no frame of reference at this stage. Chwalińska had played just two Grand Slam main draws in her entire career before this Roland Garros.
The comparison with Raducanu is tempting, but their paths diverge. The Briton was 18 and riding a wave of youthful fearlessness, carrying no pressure and no personal baggage. Chwalińska arrives at 24, having battled severe depression that took her away from the tour in 2021. Her return to tennis was far from certain, and her steady progress through ITF and WTA 125 events in 2025 gave no hint of what was to come.
Yet both journeys share a common thread: mounting adversity only sharpened their game. Chwalińska defeated four top-50 players during the fortnight, including Maria Sakkari, Anna Kalinskaya, and Diana Shnaider. Her left-handed game, built on angles and placement rather than raw power, unsettled each opponent she faced.
Before Raducanu and Chwalińska, no female qualifier had reached a Grand Slam final in the Open Era. In the space of five years, the template has been replicated twice. Women's tennis, often criticised for its unpredictability, turns that very quality into its finest asset: over two weeks, rankings protect no one.
