From Depression to Roland Garros Last 16: "I Don't Even Know If I Have Money for the Room!"

Maja Chwalinska, the 24-year-old Polish tennis player, has emerged as the biggest surprise of this year's Roland Garros. Coming through the qualifying rounds, the current world number 114 secured a spot in the French Open's last 16 by defeating Maria Sakkari this Saturday, with a scoreline of 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

This achievement marks a remarkable comeback for Chwalinska, who was sidelined from competition for three years due to a depression diagnosis in 2019. With this victory, the Pole has now accumulated six wins in the tournament.

Still on court, she was asked if she was ready to book another week at her hotel and she smiled: "Well, I hope there are some vacant rooms... And that I have money to pay for them! I know I'll earn a lot here, but it's not paid yet, pray for me," she quipped with a grin.

In the stands, her mother smiled, a sign that her daughter's nightmare might be over, and made a plea... to her boss: "We'll stay in Paris as long as my boss gives me time off..."

Maja Chwalinska clinched the Oeiras Ladies Open in April, triumphing over her best friend, Austrian Sinja Kraus, 6-1, 6-3. This WTA 125 title in Jamor marked the Polish player's second trophy in Portugal, following her victory in Porto in 2024. The win in Oeiras propelled her into the WTA top 120, settling at 118th, and gave her the momentum needed to compete in the Roland-Garros qualifying, where she surprisingly eliminated former Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng.

A dream week for Chwalinska, who reflected on how different it is from what she experienced over the past seven years: "It was in 2019 that I started feeling unwell," the tennis player recalled. "First on court, but then I also felt bad off it, which led to depression. I was dealing with it and decided to take a break."

The athlete confessed the severity of her situation, admitting that a return to tennis was once uncertain. "I didn't even know if I would come back, because things weren't going well. Initially, it was very hard for me to leave the house because I wasn't well. But then I went home and spent time with my parents and friends, and that helped me a lot," she explained. This difficult period was further compounded by knee surgery in September 2022.

With her qualification for the last 16, Maja Chwalinska guarantees her entry into the world's top 100 for the first time, climbing at least from 114th to 75th in the rankings. In the next round, she will face Diane Parry, world number 92, who upset Amanda Anisimova. It's worth noting that to reach this stage, Chwalinska has already eliminated Qinwen Zheng, Elise Mertens, and Maria Sakkari.