Maja Chwalińska – NEVER GIVE UP!

A good story doesn’t always have a good start.

Maja Chwalińska was only 16 when in 2017, with her contemporary and friend Iga Swiatek, emerged as Runners-up for the Australia Open playing Junior Girls’ doubles against Bianca Andreescu (who formerly beat Serena Williams twice in Canadian and US Open events) and doubles partner Carson Branstine. Since then she has been working hard behind the scenes doing what she loves; playing tennis but with no actual results.

Now, let’s walk through how she got to her current moment at the Roland-Garros French Open Final. While Iga was winning six WTA major titles: four at the French Open, one at Wimbledon and one at the US Open and an additional eleven WTA 1000 titles and more, Maja was basically, for the want of a better word, merely struggling to keep her heating and air conditioning on. 

By her own admission (2026 RG Interview), she did not even have the funds to settle her hotel bills fully for the ongoing Roland-Garros competition. 

She got in as a qualifier from ranking number 114, and made history as the only other Polish player in the Open Era to reach a Singles Finals at Roland Garros after Iga, and the second person man or woman to make it to a Grand Slam singles Final from Qualifier in the Open Era (after Emma Raducanu in 2021). Although an avid Tennis fan and player through and through, she considered quitting the sport because she saw no success in view. She battled depression and had to take a break from the sport. 

This year 2026, Iga was also competing in the Roland Garros but could not make it past the fourth round. Maja advanced through the Quarter finals and effectively stopped Diana Shnaider in the semi-final stage who had secured a win over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka during the quarters. She is now set to meet Mirra Adreeva in the final which will determine who will win the Roland-Garros for this year 2026.

What are the takeaways from this story? 

Something we humans should understand is this: although all of us are humans, our stories are not the same. Just as we have individuality in the shapes of our faces, character and interests, our stories are unique. Our timelines are also different. When it is not your turn, and you see others winning, you may feel, or think that you suck at what you feel called to do. But as from a Biblical reference point, ‘time and chance happens to them all’. Yours is to keep going, to keep fighting, and to keep braving the storms of life. Sooner or later, you realize, that your story was unique all the while you were probably tempted to give up. By not giving up, you give yourself the permission to rise above all the noise, and every impediment, and prove to yourself how immeasurably powerful, and capable and strong you can be.

From having career earnings of $864K to making about $1.62M in only this year’s Roland-Garros. I hope it is clear to you that things can very suddenly shift in a person’s favour. Thus, we must never give up.

So don’t you ever give up.

Congratulations Maja for keeping on and being such an INSPIRATION to us all !!! (win or lose.)