Polish Underdog Reaches French Open Final After Battling Depression

A tennis player who once couldn't get out of bed just made French Open history.

Maja Chwalińska walked onto the clay courts at Roland Garros last week as the world's 114th ranked player. She left Thursday as the lowest-ranked Grand Slam finalist in the tournament's modern history, having won nine matches in a row to reach Saturday's championship match.

The 24-year-old Polish player has transformed her life in just 10 days. Before this tournament, she had earned $864,000 in her entire career playing mostly small tournaments. Her French Open run has already banked her $1.6 million.

But the money isn't the real story. Just four years ago, Chwalińska took a break from tennis to battle severe depression.

"I pushed at the beginning. I thought that I just needed to stay very strong, tough, and just keep practicing," she said. "But then I just couldn't get out of bed anymore. I was just lifeless, to be honest."

She didn't know if she'd ever return to professional tennis. After taking time to focus on her mental health, she came back with a new perspective built on self-acceptance rather than pressure.

At just 5 feet 5 inches tall, Chwalińska had always been shorter than her competitors. Instead of seeing it as a weakness, she developed a creative playing style full of spin and drop shots that keeps opponents guessing. That unpredictability has worked perfectly in Paris, where she's beaten Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen and former semifinalist Maria Sakkari.

Through it all, Chwalińska has stayed remarkably composed. Her secret? Strict phone boundaries. After each win, she posts one celebration, "and then I quit," she said with a smile, slicing her hand through the air.

Between matches, she worried about paying for her hotel until a Polish company that sponsors her countrywoman Iga Świątek stepped in to help. Now she wears their patch on her shirt as she prepares for the biggest match of her life.

Why This Inspires

Chwalińska's journey shows that success doesn't always follow a straight line. She spent years dealing with injuries, including knee surgery in 2022, and mental health challenges that nearly ended her career. But by choosing healing over pushing through pain, she gave herself room to grow.

Her story resonates beyond tennis. Taking time to address mental health isn't giving up. Sometimes it's the bravest thing you can do, and the first step toward achieving something you never thought possible.

Chwalińska hasn't fully processed what's happening yet, but she's proud of one thing above all: staying composed and trusting her game when it mattered most.

No matter what happens Saturday, she's already won something bigger than a trophy.

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