PARIS — Sipping tea every night is working wonders for Maja Chwalinska.
The 24-year-old Polish player became just the second qualifier to reach a Grand Slam singles final in the Open Era when she beat No. 25 Diana Shnaider of Russia on Thursday, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Chwalinska can match Emma Raducanu’s title run at the 2021 U.S. Open when she plays another Russian foe, teenager Mirra Andreeva, in Saturday’s final on the red clay of Roland Garros.
Nothing will change Chwalinska’s routine for the biggest match of her life.
“I’m going to drink my tea,” she said.
Chwalinska and Raducanu, according to stats provider Opta, stand alone among men and women in having reached a major singles final from the qualifying rounds since the Open Era began in 1968.
“I feel like I am in a bubble, I don’t know what’s going on,” Chwalinska said. “After the tournament, it will be time to process it: breathe in, breathe out.”
Besides the tea, she might watch some tennis “because I’m a tennis freak.”
She said her favorite player growing up was Swiss great Roger Federer, then Spanish clay-court ace Rafael Nadal. With those two members of the “Big Three” for men’s tennis having retired, now it’s 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, who lost in the third round last week in Paris.
“I’m just very grateful that I was growing up during this era,” she said. “Sometimes I come back to these old matches and I watch them play, and it feels like poetry.”
Chwalinska sealed victory on her first match point with a powerful forehand winner down the line, then fell back with both hands on her face. She then sat on her chair and panted heavily, her face buried into a towel.
“I honestly don’t know what was going on in my head,” she said. “I was just in such a shock.”
Chwalinska had to advance through three qualifying rounds to enter the main draw and play in just her third Grand Slam tournament. Her best result at a major before this was the second round at Wimbledon in 2022.
The 19-year-old Andreeva, seeded eighth, reached her first Grand Slam final by beating No. 15 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine earlier Thursday on Court Philippe-Chatrier, 6-1, 6-3.
Andreeva reached the French Open semifinals two years ago, but this was Chwalinska’s first time being among the final four players at any tour-level event for the WTA.
Chwalinksa has dropped only one set in her nine matches, including qualifying, and has bulldozed her way past four top-50 players in the main draw. Her ranking will rocket from No. 114 to No. 14 if she wins the tournament, according to the WTA.
Her bank balance will also get a significant boost. Chwalinksa’s total prize money heading into this tournament was $864,030, but by reaching the final she gets 1.4 million euros (close to $1.6 million); and 2.8 million euros ($3.25 million) if she wins Saturday.
A neat drop shot and lob gave her set point in the tiebreaker, and she clinched the first set when Shnaider’s backhand went wide.
Shnaider had a medical timeout after the seventh game of the second set. The 22-year-old flexed her left leg as she lay on her back, then dropped her serve in the ninth game, giving Chwalinksa a chance to serve for the match.
“All the kudos to Maja. She played amazing,” Shnaider said. “She moves incredible on the court, she covers a lot. Even if you think that you won the point, she’s there.”
Andreeva also converted her first match point when serving for the victory. She said later that she could see even the smallest details in her pivotal match.
“I was seeing the little hairs on the ball when I was tossing or playing (shots),” Andreeva said. “I was really, really focused today.”
She clearly feels comfortable at the French Open, which she describes as a “cozy” tournament because she sees familiar faces every year and enjoys her time in Paris.
“I really like to walk around the city, to go into those little restaurants on the street,” she said. “I also speak a little bit of French, so I try to sometimes talk to people in French.”
There was no post-match handshake between Andreeva and Kostyuk — and the 23-year-old Ukrainian walked off quickly, turning only to wave and blow kisses to the crowd.
They had separate photos taken before the match as each player stood next to two children on her respective side of the net. Usually the players pose for the same photo, standing right next to each other by the net.
Kostyuk and countrywoman Oleksandra Oliynykova have spoken out during the tournament about the impact Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having on their country.
Kostyuk said her semifinal loss won’t linger in a negative way, given how much support she felt from fans.
“This is something I will carry with me forever,” she said. “I feel like this is the highlight of my tournament.”
Serena’s choice
LONDON — Serena Williams will make her eagerly anticipated return to professional tennis playing doubles alongside a partner who is 25 years younger.
Victoria Mboko, the 19-year-old Canadian who is currently ninth in the WTA Tour’s singles rankings, has revealed she will have the “honor” of playing with the 44-year-old American as wild-card entries in a Wimbledon tuneup next week at the Queen’s Club.
They practiced Thursday on the venue’s grass courts in West London, with Williams seen hitting balls in a purple top and white pants.
“The Queen is back,” Mboko wrote in a post on Instagram alongside a picture of her standing next to Williams.
“An honor to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week,” Mboko added. “Even more excited to play doubles together! Tennis is pretty special.”
Speaking last week at the French Open, where she exited in the third round, Mboko said of Williams: “I really look up to her. I mean, the fact that she even knows me is very exciting.”
Williams won 39 Grand Slam tournament titles — 23 in women’s singles, 14 in women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles — before stepping away from tennis in 2022. She has yet to say whether she plans to play at either of this year’s final two majors.
Main-draw play at Wimbledon is set to begin June 29 on the grass courts of the All England Club, while the hard-court U.S. Open starts Aug. 30 in New York.