The Polish government has confirmed that Maja Chwalińska will receive the maximum available funding after reaching the French Open final.
24-year-old Chwalinska produced a stunning run in Paris, where she came through three rounds of qualifying before reaching the final. She is the first qualifier to reach a major final since Emma Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open. Chwalinska’s run saw her produce wins over Elise Mertens, Maria Sakkari, Diane Parry, Anna Kalinskaya and Diana Shnaider. In the final, she was beaten in straight sets by Mirra Andreeva.
“I mean, it’s very rare to come through qualies and make it to the final,” Raducanu recently said of Chwalinska’s performance during an interview with BBC Sport.
“She did an incredible job and I was very happy to see her do so well. To see her before the tournament and the way she rose up through the tournament will do a lot for her confidence.
“I think it’s something that doesn’t happen very often in tennis, but to see her do so well and have fun and enjoy it was really special.”
The Pole has rocketed up the rankings from 114th to 21st place in less than a month. At the French Open, she gained 1340 ranking points and earned $1,633,351 in prize money.
Chwalinska will receive more financial support after being awarded a year-long scholarship from her government. Sports Minister Jakub Rutnicki has confirmed the tennis player has been granted the maximum amount under the funding regulations. She will get $2615 per month for the next 12 months, which is a total of $31,380.
“Determination, consistency and hard work can lead to the very top, as Maja Chwalińska’s story shows,” the sports ministry said in a statement published via thenews.pl.
“Her success is an inspiration to young athletes throughout the country,” it added.
In a more unusual gift, Chwalinska was also rewarded with a ‘bundle of crosswords’ after she said she enjoys doing them between matches.
As for the grasscourt season, Chwalinska’s rapid rise has made her a key contender for a Wimbledon wildcard. If she fails to get one, she will have to go through qualifying. The Grand Slam will announce their initial wildcards on June 17th, six days after its pre-tournament press conference.
“I don’t expect it, but I’ll see. I will treat it as a challenge,” she said about her prospects of getting a wildcard.
“It’s a new surface. I don’t have much time, but I’ll give my all and we’ll see.
“But I’m excited. Grass is always a nice kind of change.”
Players’ entries into Wimbledon are based on their ranking on Monday, May 18th, when Chwalinska was outside the top 100.
