A 24-year-old Polish tennis player arrived in Paris last week ranked 114th in the world, with no sponsors, no guaranteed income, and no certainty she could even pay for her hotel room.
She had to win three qualifying matches just to enter the French Open main draw. Prize money is only paid at the end of the tournament, so a Polish sports drink brand quietly stepped in and covered her hotel bill.
Her name is Maja Chwalinska. And today, she plays in the French Open final.
Before this tournament, she had won exactly one Grand Slam main draw match in her entire career. She had battled depression so severe that in 2021 she couldn't get out of bed. She underwent knee surgery in 2022. She spent years grinding through small tournaments across Europe just to stay afloat.
Then she arrived in Paris, won three qualifiers, and kept winning. Zheng Qinwen. Elise Mertens. Maria Sakkari. Diana Shnaider. Nine straight matches. One set dropped.
She is now the first qualifier in French Open history to reach the final. The last time a qualifier reached a Grand Slam final, it was Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open. Raducanu won.
By simply making the final, Chwalinska has earned more prize money than her entire career combined. The runner-up cheque alone is $1.6 million. If she wins today, she takes home $3.25 million.
One week ago she couldn't pay for her hotel room.
@Du_Kee Bottom line if athletes any athletes are participating in an event in any country they should be exempt from visas. Special consideration must be given.
This is happening for the first time on the African continent. Take a bow, Botswana, your opening was splendid and all of Africa should be proud. Botswana is a beautiful country with beautiful people and the world is seeing it this weekend 🌍🇧🇼💙
When even the dolphins decide it’s a good day for a surf… you know you’ve picked the right wave. 🐬🌊
🏄♂️ March conditions in South Africa? Pretty perfect.
📍 J-Bay, Eastern Cape
🎥 @djijbay
A PARTNERSHIP MADE IN HELL: Guys, what demon is presiding over South Africa mara?
Since when is Tropika an alcohol bev?
Clover knows full well this brand is deeply associated with children and family life.
Police want to question this Zimbabwean national believed to be living in South Africa.
Washington Tawanda Gwatsvaira, rented a Toyota Landcruiser single cab 4
litter V6 petrol on the 08 January in Botswana. He removed the tracker on 10th January and disappeared.
Congratulations to Botswana on winning Destination of the Year @ITB_Berlin Travel Awards 🏆
The EU is proud to partner with an international leader in conservation, supporting tourism that creates jobs, strengthens communities and drives inclusive economic growth.
Pula 🇧🇼
The people of South Africa are with you today as you lay to rest a great man and celebrate a remarkable life that altered the moral direction of a nation and inspired the conscience of the world.
~ My Tribute at the Homecoming Celebration of Reverend Jesse Jackson
@LeboSpeaks It goes back to your article on corruption. The layman does not discern their actions and thoughts as contributors to the rot. In this case the cost of wealth and greed above all else. Isn’t this why we are where we are?! 🤦🏽♀️
It doesn’t matter whether Khamenei is dead or not. What matters is how insane it is to live in an era where one country can assassinate the heads of other states with total international impunity. The fact that this precedent is now fully normalized is fucking nuts.