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.
Man, Rockies fans are losing one of the best writers in the business. Patrick has been through the highs and lows (lots of lows) covering the Rockies. The press box at Coors Field won’t be the same!
This week, Jesse Ridgeway and his wife decided to terminate her pregnancy because genetic testing showed their unborn child had Trisomy 21. It's said that 90% of parents, when faced with this news, choose option A, termination.
Twenty tree years ago, my wife and I chose option B, the road less travelled. The first point I want to make is that I am not here to judge anyone for their decision. It is the most excruciating and personal decision making process that you can think of. Every hope and dream you ever had about your life with this child is turned on its head and questioned. What ever happened to "Do not judge lest ye be judged"? That holds for whatever the decision is.
Medical costs, the stress and frustration of teaching someone who learns differently, the challenge of breaking through social stigma. Yep there are lots of challenges for the parents. For us, personally though, it came down to the fact we had the means to support this child and this child and all the children like him deserve to exist. It wasn't so much a religious question as a question of humanity. Imagine living life knowing most people don't think you should exist!
We as parents have learned a lot the past 23 years. We've learned that people with Down Syndrome can learn. I've often thought to myself that maybe it's not so much a learning disability as it is a teaching disability. That not an indictment of teachers in any way, it's just that we tend to try and teach the way we were taught and many times that just doesn't work with kids who have Down Syndrome.
Our son has had some real medical issues. Low muscle tone, central auditory processing issues and a bout with Leukemia. The leukemia caused him to develop a stutter and he can sometimes have difficulty getting his point across, but that doesn't mean he can't teach others not to judge a book by its cover. He was reading by the age of 4 and can memorize long passages of text. If you ask him when a particular event happened, he won't just tell you the date but he'll text you the Dropbox link to the pictures.
He's seen more of the world than most people and he's been to every major league ballpark in America as well as the World Series. Baseball is his passion. He'll read us the injury reports and summarize his baseball podcasts for us. Nobody is a better fan of the game.
The things he injects into the world can't be monetized but they do have value. He can assess emotional needs and come out with just the right line to make someone's day. "You're the best cashier ever!".or "You sure look pretty today". While under treatment for Leukemia, he always had a joke for the doctors and nurses.
Yes, he has issues, we all have issues, but he also has a life, as imperfect as it may seem to others, it's still his life and he's enjoying it.
People with Down Syndrome shine a light on everything that's good in the world. They have a purpose.
See @joewillage
Henry Nowak’s sister has posted a heartbreaking video of their bond as siblings…
Henry Nowak died because was a victim of anti-white HATRED
SHAME on the disgusting U.K. Police and Politicians that treat white people as SECOND CLASS CITIZENS
Rose: "Holy Father, can I tell you a joke?"
Pope Leo: "Is it short? Lots of people want to meet me. Yes yes, okay. What's your joke?"
Rose: "What do you give an Italian ghost for dinner?"
Pope Leo: "I don't know...what do you give an Italian ghost for dinner?"
Rose: "Spookghetti!"
Pope Leo: "Oooooohhhhhoooo..." *cue laughter*
Adults pushing their way in front of kids for autographs is always ridiculous. At least Landon got to see @frankiemuniz. He watched Miracle in Lane 2 recently has become a big fan.
The Washington Nationals are facing backlash after a video surfaced in which a team executive reportedly said pitcher Trevor Williams is not featured on the team’s social media due to his Catholic faith.
Today, we will dedicate our account to Ichiro Suzuki.
Enjoy
Bob Costas: “What is your favorite American expression?” to Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro:"Kansas City in August is hotter than two rats fucking in a wool sock."
The flag that Rick Monday rescued 50 years ago today is headed to Cooperstown!
OTD in 1976, Monday, a Cubs outfielder and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, grabbed an American flag from two protesters who had run onto the field at Dodger Stadium and attempted to burn it.
Monday, the longtime Dodgers broadcaster who played 19 years in the Major Leagues, was a two-time All-Star and a World Series champion, has often been asked about the moment.
“If that’s all you’re ever remembered for, that’s not a bad thing at all,” Monday told MLB Network in 2016.
Monday still owns the flag and it will be on loan to the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration. In addition, Monday will be honored on July 25 during induction weekend.