The dream run of Maja Chwalinska at the 2026 French Open has captured the attention of the entire tennis world, including players, fans, and pundits. However, in one of the biggest endorsements of her performance, the Pole’s semifinal was watched by the American WTA quartet consisting of Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Desirae Krawczyk, and Jennifer Brady. Just as the Pole closed out the victory, they couldn’t help themselves from bursting with excitement upon her qualifying for the final.

“Guys, Chwalinska just won”, Pegula had her hands above her head on The Players Box podcast’s live reaction segment as she watched on in amazement as the Polish qualifier became only the second ever to reach a Grand Slam final. Pegula marveled at the qualifier’s final point, showing excellent composure while serving for the match, while the other three chimed in with their appreciations. “Good for her, I kind of hope she wins now,” said Krawczyk, willing the Pole on to finish her great run with the trophy.

It was not only the result that influenced the comments, as the four of them had nothing but admiration for the unheralded Pole as she won the first set. Pegula noted that she was great at maintaining pressure on her opponent, preventing Shnaider from sustaining a sustained period of good play. “She’s so good”, said Madison Keys, who did not miss the chance of taking a jibe at herself by saying Shnaider was reserving her energy for later. This was obviously a good-natured joke by the American, as she herself lost to the Russian player in the fourth round, losing 6-0 in the final set.

As Pegula mentioned in the video, Chwalinska is on the verge of achieving something only Emma Raducanu has managed to do when she won ten consecutive matches to win the 2021 US Open as a qualifier. There have been some unknown names like Nadia Podoroska, Tamara Zidansek, and Lois Boisson who have made semifinal runs at Roland Garros in the last few years, but where one would argue Chwalinska differs is her unique game style, which focuses more on touch than power.

Maja Chwalinska Will Go for History on Saturday

With the world watching on, Maja Chwalinska will attempt the improbable on June 6 when she takes on the eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva in the final. The Pole has captivated all with her unique style, relying more on precision than power. She can hit shots from unique angles on the court and has excellent racket control to pull off outrageous slices and lobs. In the semifinal against Shnaider, she used the clever strategy of bringing the Russian to the net and then duping her with topspin lobs. Her being left-handed adds an extra layer of difficulty for her opponent to read her shots.

It is not only Shnaider; Chwalinska has also beaten some big names in her run to the French Open final, including a first-round win over Zheng Qinwen, who won gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She beat a former Top 3 player, Maria Sakkari, in the third round, and a strong baseline player, Anna Kalinskaya, in the quarterfinals. Her composure in the semifinal indicated that she was not someone the big occasion would fluster.

However, Andreeva will be a tough challenge, as for the Russian herself, this will be a massive stage as it will be a big “coming of age” moment for her, should she win. Her recent clay-court form has been strong this year, including a title in Linz and a runner-up finish in Madrid. She is coming into this final having routed Marta Kostyuk in the semifinal, who had a 17-0 win-loss record on the clay this year.

Conditions will play a massive part in the final, as seen in a few of the upsets in the last few days, including the World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. However, everyone loves an underdog story, and should Chwalinska start well in the final, the crowd on Court Philipe Chatrier will be right behind her, cheering her on towards what would have certainly looked like an impossible task three weeks ago.