Maja Chwalińska receives Wimbledon wildcard after Roland Garros run, set to be seeded in main draw

From qualifying to final: Chwalińska’s Roland Garros breakthrough

At the start of Roland Garros, Maja Chwalińska was ranked 114th and had to come through qualifying. She became the first woman in history to reach a Grand Slam final from qualifying, jumping to world No. 21. That ranking would normally guarantee a direct main-draw spot at Wimbledon, but the entry list for the grass-court major closed on 18 May, when she was still outside the top 100.

The wildcard announcement

On Tuesday 16 June, Wimbledon released its wildcard list. Chwalińska was one of eight women’s singles wildcards, and the only non-British recipient among the seven names made public so far. One further spot remains to be filled. The decision was widely expected after her Paris performance but was far from automatic; sources note a French player in a similar position a year earlier was not given a wildcard.

She also gained a lot from her modesty, which was noticed by the British. They really appreciate that kind of character. Chwalińska has become a very young ambassador for Poland, not just in tennis. The British said she was a breath of fresh air in the sport.

Williams sisters and the remaining spot

Neither Serena nor Venus Williams received a singles wildcard in this batch, though the pair were granted a wildcard into the women’s doubles draw, where they will play together. Speculation in tennis circles suggests the final singles wildcard could yet go to one of the sisters.

Team reaction: ‘Time to get to work’

Chwalińska’s manager, Piotr Szczypka, learned of the decision via an official email at the same moment the news broke publicly. He described his reaction as delighted but calm, noting the player had just returned from a short holiday and immediately resumed training. Another member of her team, Aleksandra Musiał, relayed the player’s own response.

Maja wrote a letter to the organisers requesting a wildcard. Her reaction was: now we have to get to work.

Later in the day, Szczypka tried to connect Chwalińska to a live TV broadcast, but she could not be reached. He joked she would scold him if he interrupted her session, adding: “She probably went back to training.”

Seeded status and next steps

Because Chwalińska will be inside the top 32 when official rankings are published on 22 June – she is currently 21st and can be passed by at most four players this week – she will be seeded at Wimbledon. This means she cannot face another seeded opponent before the third round. The 139th edition of the Championships runs from 29 June to 12 July, with qualifying beginning on 22 June. Chwalińska joins five other Polish women in the main draw: Iga Świątek, Magdalena Fręch, Magda Linette, Linda Klimovicova and Katarzyna Kawa.