ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2026

Maja Chwalinska

Press Conference

M. CHWALINSKA/D. Shnaider

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Maja, congratulations. Into your very first Grand Slam final, but to get there, you had to play a really, really tough match today. You did so beautifully. Just talk about your performance today in that match and just how you were able to make it through to the end.

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Well, yeah. Thank you. It was such a challenging match, for sure, mentally and physically.

I feel like the first set was such a battle, you know. We definitely gave our all. So, yeah, I'm definitely very proud of the effort, of my effort.

Yeah, just super happy with the win, of course.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congratulations. Just wondering what it was like hearing all of the crowd support today and how much that meant to you.

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Yeah, I was surprised. I mean, great moment for me. I really appreciate it, and I'm grateful for it. Yeah, I definitely feel like the crowd helped me a lot and gave me a lot of energy today.

Q. I noticed a tattoo on your left hand. I think it says "Free." Can you tell us a little bit about that, what that means and why you got it done?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I mean, I will keep it to myself, guys. Yeah, you can make your own stories.

Q. Can you tell us when you got it done and where?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Yeah, I have a couple of tattoos. I have tiny ones. So it's not very visible, I would say. Yeah, I mean, this one I feel like three years ago, maybe.

Q. You said after the previous match that you couldn't process yet what was happening. Maybe that's a technique that you're just blocking it out...

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Haven't changed today (smiling).

Q. Is that still the same? How are you feeling now?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I feel like I'm in the bubble, I would say. I don't know what's going on. I'm just very happy to be here.

Yeah, I just try to focus on every single match, give my all, and then after the tournament, there will be time to kind of process it and breathe in, breathe out, yeah.

Q. You started this tournament with a big win over Qinwen, who is a great player, and kept beating good players along the way. Wondering how much higher your confidence and your belief in your game are now than they were two weeks ago. Obviously you haven't found any sort of limit to your potential yet.

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I mean, it definitely raised. But, you know, I didn't have many experiences, many opportunities before to play against such great players and high-ranked players.

So it's actually the first time that I have this opportunity. I'm happy that I'm taking it (smiling).

Now I know that my ranking will allow me to play more in the, like, at the highest-ranked tournaments. Yeah, I guess we'll see how I will continue.

For now I'm just, you know, trying to focus on just one more match.

Q. You spoke on court about feeling pretty tired after that win. I'm sure it's taken a lot out of you emotionally, physically. How will you recharge tomorrow to get ready for Saturday's final?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I'm going to repeat myself. I'm going to sleep, and I'm going to drink my tea. I'm going to watch something good, maybe some tennis a bit, because I'm a tennis freak a bit.

Yeah, and that's it.

Q. You played nine matches here in about three weeks. Can you give us some insight into the superstitions, eating at the same restaurants, eating the same food, listening to the same music? What are you doing?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Yeah, I'm not a very superstitious person, I would say, but my coaches are. They eat pizza every day, like, every day, and we are three weeks here.

I mean, they're going to gain so much weight, you guys (smiling). It's gonna be terrible. But, I mean, if they want, I can't, you know, say no. Maybe it helps. I don't know.

Q. What pizza?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I don't know. I'm not going there with them. I don't eat pizza now, so.

Q. They go hand in hand, but your court coverage, and sometimes when you're on the baseline and your opponent is at the net or has what appears to be an easy smash, you predict where the ball goes very well. How do you think your court coverage has evolved, and are you studying your opponent's tendencies in that front, or do you think it's luck?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I feel like it's a few things. I think first I definitely study my opponent. I try to. The second thing, I think it's natural.

Yeah, and the other thing is I think that watching tennis, like, I love watching tennis. And when I was younger, I watched tennis, like, all day every day. So I feel like it really helps me with, like, reading the game better.

Q. If you could take your mind back to the match point, the forehand winner down the line. You dropped to the court. Are you able to express what that feeling was like, what you were feeling, what were the emotions, what was going through your head, and the fact you're also going to be around top 20 now from the way you started with the tournament?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Well, I honestly don't know what was going on in my head. I was just in such a shock. You know, just, I don't know, joy, surprise. So many emotions, you know.

So I was just very, I feel like, overwhelmed also.

Q. I'm assuming you have never played in front of 15,000 people like that before this week. Correct?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Yeah, probably.

Q. Big stage. Can you explain what the adjustment has been like to playing in front of a massive crowd, dealing with the noise, using the crowd? Or are you just sort of winging it and improvising? Was there any preparation from going, like, from really small environments, people not paying much attention, to this massive spectacle?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Well, not really. I feel like I always really enjoyed playing in front of people, even on the, like, the ITF circuit. You know, I always enjoyed tournaments where people were interested.

I feel like tennis is more enjoyable then. You can share the emotions with people. You can see, like, their reactions. Yeah, so I always enjoyed when there were people around, you know, watching.

Q. And the amount of people doesn't, like...

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I mean, not really. They were supporting me a lot today, and they gave me so much with emotions and energy. I think they helped me a lot.

Q. You said you're a tennis freak. I guess you're not alone with that in the room here. I wonder, like, what you love so much about tennis, who were your idols growing up, who you like to watch nowadays? Tell us a little bit about your tennis...

MAJA CHWALINSKA: So I was Roger's No. 1 fan. Like, when I started playing tennis, it was all about Roger. And then Rafa and then Novak. So now I'm, like, you know, like, just praying that Novak keep on playing so I can watch him play.

Yeah, so I'm just actually very grateful that I was growing up during this era, you know. And sometimes I come back to these old matches and I watch them play, and it feels like poetry, really.

Yeah, nowadays, it's more about watching my friends, I would say. Sometimes if there is a good match, I can watch, like, I love watching of course Carlos or Jannik. Yeah. But before, it was definitely about the Big 3.

Q. Your story is unbelievable on the paper on one hand. You said it on court that it was hard to realize. On the other hand, you play with a lot of clarity, you speak with a lot of clarity here. If you had two columns, this is surrealistic, this is an out-of-body experience, and another column which is this is my daily life as a tennis player, I live my daily life every day, what would be the experiences that you would put in each of the columns?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I'm sorry, I don't understand the question.

Q. In what you're experiencing at the moment, what's the more surrealistic and what's the more normal? Because you look very normal when you play and you speak to us.

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Well, thank you. I guess, I mean, nothing changes for me. You know, I'm just, like, playing tennis. I mean, the stage changed, but honestly, I'm just playing tennis and practicing. For me, it doesn't change.

I just want to win whatever I'm playing, whatever match I'm playing. That's it.

Q. (Off microphone.)

MAJA CHWALINSKA: Well, I mean, I guess the jump, you know. Let's not pretend someone expected it. I mean, I was outside top 100, and now I'm in the finals of a Grand Slam, so I feel like it's a big thing.

So it's hard to process it, I guess. Yeah.

Q. You said you're in a bubble, not aware of the noise around you. But you're growing. More and more sponsors here have stepped up. What is that like logistically? Do you get involved in those conversations? How does it feel to be in demand and sponsored?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I mean, for now, I'm playing, so I'm very grateful for the Oshee company to help me to cover my hotel expenses these three weeks now.

But other than that, no, I'm just focusing on tennis, and the rest I guess will come after the tournament.

Q. We have seen you with different outfits on different rounds. What's the story on all of these outfits?

MAJA CHWALINSKA: I mean, there is no story, really. I'm not sponsored, so I guess that's the story. (Laughter.)