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.
Spelman College just made history — the Class of 2026 has seven valedictorians.
Seven brilliant, beautiful Black women standing at the top of their class. This is what excellence looks like when Black women are given the space to shine.
Huge congratulations to these trailblazers and the entire Spelman family. Y’all did that! 👏🏽👏🏽
Welcome to forever. 30 years in, the respect, recognition, and spotlight are finally matching the star power. We’re celebrating the W as the present and future stars of the game cover SLAM 262.
⭐ https://t.co/ov33f4zJK8
Today, the @ICJ_org made a historic ruling: according to the court, the right to strike is LEGALLY PROTECTED under the @ilo's Convention 87 on Freedom of Assembly. This means that workers around the globe will legally have the right to strike and make their voices heard 🗣️
Behind every thriving organization is an HR professional quietly building culture, restoring dignity, unlocking potential & turning strategy into human impact. Today we celebrate the architects of people, purpose & possibility. Happy #InternationalHRDay to every HR professional!
Caitlin Clark is back on the court... and back setting records 💯
Congrats to CC on becoming the fastest WNBA player to reach 1,000+ PTS, 250+ REB, and 250+ AST 👏
History 🚨
Caitlin Clark became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000+ points, 250+ rebounds, and 250+ assists, accomplishing the feat in just 54 games — surpassing Diana Taurasi’s previous mark of 62 games.
WNBA Tip-Off 2026 | @CarMax
BACK‑TO‑BACK BOSTON KING 👑
🇰🇪’s John Korir storms to victory at the Boston Marathon, sealing consecutive wins and his 3rd Abbott World Marathon Majors 🏆
He clocks an impressive 2:01:52 to move up to 5️⃣th on the all-time list 🔥