World No. 114 Maja Hvalinska of Poland pulled off an upset by advancing to the women's singles semifinals at the 2026 French Open tennis tournament, which carries total prize money of 61.723 million euros.
Hvalinska defeated Anna Kalinskaya (No. 24, Russia) 2-0 (7-6, 6-3) in 1 hour and 54 minutes in the women's singles quarterfinals on the 11th day of the tournament at Roland Garros in Paris on Tuesday (local time).
Before this tournament, Hvalinska had won only two career matches on clay courts on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. She advanced to the semifinals after coming through the qualifying rounds. She is only the second qualifier to reach the women's singles semifinals at the French Open since the Open Era began in 1968, following Argentina's Nadia Podoroska in 2020.
Hvalinska, who won the match by employing tactics designed to draw errors from her opponent, said, "Every match I play here is unbelievable. I am truly grateful. Inside, I was nervous and anxious. I tried to focus only on my own play, and I am glad that worked."
Hvalinska, who hails from southern Poland, began playing tennis at age seven. She has a connection with fellow Pole Iga Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion, having paired with her as a doubles partner during their junior days.
In the semifinals, Hvalinska will face the winner of the match between Aryna Sabalenka (No. 1, Belarus) and Diana Shnaider (No. 23, Russia).
