Maja Chwalinska described Mirra Andreeva as ‘annoying’ after losing to her in the final of the French Open, while also admitting she is ‘grateful’ for her unlikely run to the title match in Paris.
The Pole was defeated 6-3, 6-2 by the Russian in the showpiece match, with Andreeva becoming the first player born in 2005 or later to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Chwalinska continued to trouble her opponent in the early stages, using her grinding playing style to frustrate the Russian, with the windy conditions further adding to the challenge.
However, once both players settled into the match, the Pole was unable to match Andreeva’s level, with the champion going on to win 10 of the final 12 games.
“First of all, congratulations Mirra,” began the Pole during her speech at the trophy ceremony.
“You’re such an incredible player. You’re so young and talented – it’s so annoying.
“Congratulations to your team for an amazing job, and I wish you all the best in the future.
“Thank you to everyone who made this tournament possible and so special. Amelie, thank you for taking care of us at the FFT [French Tennis Federation]. Thank you, Mary [Pierce], for being here with us.
“I actually told Amelie [Mauresmo] a few days ago that I used to watch old clips of you guys playing here, so it’s kind of a pinch-me moment for me. So yeah, I’m very grateful you’re here.”
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Chwalinska became the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final since Emma Raducanu’s memorable run to the 2021 US Open.
During her impressive run, the Pole defeated the likes of Maria Sakkari, 23rd seed Elise Mertens, 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya, and – in the semi-final – 25th seed Diana Shnaider.
“Of course, thank you to my team and my family,” she continued.
“Thank you for being with me. I know I’m not easy to be around sometimes, but thank you for sticking with me, working with me every day, and I’ll try to keep improving and continue pushing on.
“I would like to thank everyone who came today, but not just today — over all three weeks. Thank you for your support. I really felt your love and I’m very, very grateful.
“I wish you could have seen a better match today, but Mirra was just too good for me, so I guess it’s her fault – I tried my best, I’m sorry (laughs).
“Thank you so much, and I’ll definitely never forget these three weeks. Paris will forever stay in my heart.
“Merci beaucoup.”
Chwalinska climbs to a career-high world No 21 after earning approximately 1,300 ranking points for her remarkable fortnight in Paris.
She is next scheduled to compete at the Lexus Ilkley Open next week, although it remains unclear whether the Pole will opt to rest before the grass-court swing.
If Chwalinska does not receive a wildcard for Wimbledon, she will be required to compete in qualifying for the grass-court event.
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