If tennis fans are surprised to see Maja Chwalińska in the quarterfinals, they are not alone.
“Well, it’s definitely a big surprise for me, and I didn’t expect it, surely,” Chwalińska said with a smile Monday after defeating France’s Diane Parry.
The world No. 114 came through three rounds of qualifying and has dropped just one set, to 2021 semifinalist Maria Sakkari, en route to her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal. She has far surpassed her previous best run at a major — the second round of Wimbledon in 2022.
She took down the Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who was struggling physically, in the first round and upset No. 23 seed Elise Mertens in the second with her heavy topspin and deftness in the forecourt.
After beating Sakkari in the third round and Parry, 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth, she is the first qualifier to reach the women’s singles quarterfinals at Roland Garros since Martina Trevisán in 2020.
