Maja Chwalinska. This name probably means nothing to you. And that’s completely normal. Ranked 113th in the world, the Pole was still an unknown in the world of tennis 3 weeks ago. From? She had a string of successes at Roland-Garros, three in qualifying and five in the main draw, and found herself qualified to everyone’s surprise for the semi-finals.
Even the one who began her Parisian epic on May 18 could never have imagined such a fairy tale. As the laps passed, she had difficulty paying for her hotel nights, because these are the responsibility of the athletes.
“I hope there will be free rooms. I don’t have enough money, she said on court after her victory in the third round. I know I made a lot of money here, but it doesn’t happen right away. Pray for me!”
This call for help was echoed in his country. Various Polish media reported that one of the sponsors of Iga Swiatek, four-time winner of Roland-Garros, had decided to be associated with this beautiful story and supported the 24-year-old player in finding accommodation.
A minimum prize money of 750,000 euros
One of the reasons for this problem finds its source in the difficulties experienced by the Polish woman at the start of her professional career. Between 2019 and 2021, she suffered from depression which pushed her to put her career on hold for several months. It took time to rebuild and had “only” raised 860,000 euros since its debut on the circuit in 2016.
The pleasure of the game rediscovered, Maja Chwalinska will no longer have to worry financially from Monday. Thanks to a check for at least 750,000 euros and a 30th place in the ranking which will allow her to play in all WTA tournaments, the left-hander can see the future with serenity.
