2026 French Open - Women's Discussion

[Hitman]

Give this great player a contract!!!!

She serves for the final

 

[ibbi]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

 

[Move]

Maja the silent killer bee (TM)

 

[roysid]

Not an excuse but an explanation is that Raducanu, like Vondrousova and Andreescu, faced multiple chronic injury issues after her major win. On top of that, Raducanu winning the U.S. Open in her first year on tour was not prepared for the pressure on her in a huge commercial market famous for awful tabloid journalism that almost certainly affected her mentally for the rest of her career, which none of these other one-off major winners experienced. She played really well those 2 weeks at the USO, but we've only seen flashes of that since like her playing peak Sabalenka close.

Also to add, winning grand slam is the ultimate achievement in tennis. Nothing else comes close.
Just ask players who missed that like Jabeur, Zverev or as was Keys for a long time.

 

[Carax]

What a dropper! She's one game away!

 

[ibbi]

COLD
AS
ICE

 

[zvelf]

Maja with the incredible dropper to break!

 

[HarveyPitnik]

What a super-brave shot! Damn, you are something else Maja!

 

[Lingua Franca]

God tier moonball-dropshot combo.

At my club, this used to be frowned upon (underarm serve level derision). I personally never felt it was unsportsmanlike or anything... perfectly legal. Well, I do admit going for extra-wide short serves (almost like a drop-serve) to take advantage of the near side fence on some courts.

 

[bluetrain4]

What a break.

 

[DarthJodar]

Wow! Maja is going to serve for this.

 

[Kralingen]

Maja is such an elite junk baller. You have to praise it

 

[bullfan]

All in for Maja to win it all! Sadly, I think the brat will use Shnaider's out wide more effectively

 

[ibbi]

No fistpumps. Just a blow on the fingers.

 

[Hitman]

MP!!!

 

[Move]

2 MP Shnaider is done

 

[Hitman]

She does it!!!!

 

[ibbi]

LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

 

[Move]

MAJA THE STINGING BEE DOES IT

 

[chicagodude]

At my club, this used to be frowned upon (underarm serve level derision). I personally never felt it was unsportsmanlike or anything... perfectly legal. Well, I do admit going for extra-wide short serves (almost like a drop-serve) to take advantage of the near side fence on some courts.

I'e personally always felt that anyone complaining about those shots, including underarm-serving, are simply sour grapes because they couldn't handle it.
Any shot that is legal is perfectly fine. If you can combine different types of shots effectively, you're a more allround player than the one-dimensional pure baseline ballbashers who have no plan B whatsoever if plan A doesn't work, of which we have way too many as it is.

 

[ibbi]

What a freakin' legend. All those shots, all that icy cool, and she saves the smile for the finish line.

 

[Automatix]

Chwalińska becomes the 4th Pole in history to reach a Grand Slam tournament singles final...
1. Jadwiga Jędrzejowska
2. Agnieszka Radwańska
3. Iga Świątek
4. Maja Chwalińska

 

[zvelf]

First qualifier to the RG final with a fantastic passing shot.

 

[junior74]

Clutch play from the qualifier!

Great!

 

[Kralingen]

Iga is now the 2nd best Pole on clay. What a pass on match point from Maja, such an impressive win

 

[Move]

Grande Matchhhh

 

[bluetrain4]

She did it. Ice in her veins in the last game. I would have thought a little yippy.

 

[chicagodude]

Whoa, what a match and what a player. Truly hope she will show us this much more often now that she will be ranked high enough to consistently show up and even be seeded.

 

[NoleFam]

Congrats to Maja. What an amazing tournament she's having. Another surprise in this tournament that no one saw coming. She played amazing tennis today and totally deserves this.

 

[tx10is]

great win for chwalinska, just hope she plays like this in the final

 

[Carax]

What amazing match she played. No nerves at all.

 

[helterskelter]

Iga is now the 2nd best Pole on clay. What a pass on match point from Maja, such an impressive win

Impressive feat for a finnish player to be the second best Pole. Not sure whether that says more about Poland or about Finland.

 

[Breakpointerer]

Maja!!!

Would have liked Schnaider to go through as well, but great run for her. Hoping for a good final.

 

[a10best]

Great emotions of disbelief. What a feeling.

Maja almost equaled Radacanu, not losing a set to the final as a qualifier. She's lost one set.

 

[bluetrain4]

Iga is now the 2nd best Pole on clay. What a pass on match point from Maja, such an impressive win

If someone told you a Pole and an Italian would be in the women's and men's final, you probably wouldn't think much about it. Then someone tells you it won't be Iga and Sinner.

 

[Zardoz7/12]

Benneteau looks like he could be in a Sherlock Holmes movie.

 

[cha cha]

Incredibel. Ze fairytale contineuz.

 

[Archer27]

What a match! What a player! What a brain! Most entertained I've been this whole tournament. Kudos to Shnaider too.

 

[GhostDog]

What an all time fairytale cinderella run by Chwalinska. At least Raducanu had some hype heading into her US Open title run.

 

[bluetrain4]

Chwalinksa knocking on the door of the Top 20 (No. 21) in the live rankings. Up 93 spots in this tournament. Beyond the points and money from this tournament alone (which are life changing in and of themsevles) - this means a likely clothing sponsorship and/or endorsement, and of course an entire year of automatic entry into every tournament she wants to play in, including Slams and 1000s - and all the potential money that goes with that. Less stress, better conditions. She sure did earn it.

 

[Al Czervik]

Okay, who's ready for Chwalinskamania?

Chwalinska mania is running wild.

 

[helterskelter]

@tennis_pro

Even without beating Saba, I think Chwalinska's route through is tougher than Raducanu's was:

Chwalinska has already beaten three seeds, and would have to beat four to win the title. Raducanu beat two.
The highest seed Raducanu beat was #11 (Bencic). Chwalinska would have to beat the #8 (Andreeva), and a #8 who is very young and could be under-ranked as a result.

Of course, if Andreeva were injured and Chwalinska won with a walkover or withdrawal, we'd have to think further. But assuming Chwalinska won a completed match, I think her draw is tougher than Raducanu's.

 

[junior74]

More fun to watch than a lot of the bashing on the Men’s side. Very chess like, great variety.

 

[ibbi]

@tennis_pro

Even without beating Saba, I think Chwalinska's route through is tougher than Raducanu's was:

Chwalinska has already beaten three seeds, and would have to beat four to win the title. Raducanu beat two.
The highest seed Raducanu beat was #11 (Bencic). Chwalinska would have to beat the #8 (Andreeva), and a #8 who is very young and could be under-ranked as a result.

Of course, if Andreeva were injured and Chwalinska won with a walkover or withdrawal, we'd have to think further. But assuming Chwalinska won a completed match, I think her draw is tougher than Raducanu's.

Seriously, and Qinwen who was one of the best players in the world just a couple of years ago.

 

[GhostDog]

This is not shocking at all haha. This is Sabalenka at her finest and why she has so many slam QF, SF and Final losses. She’s not headstrong.

I know she's imploded before but this was way worse than any previous imho, I mean the bagel at least was shocking to me.

 

[Sudacafan]

I don’t know if a star is born, but a favorite of mine is.

 

[GhostDog]

Andreeva "should" win Sat, but it seems like it's Chwalinska's destiny.

 

[James P]

Chwalinska was #114 at the start of the tournament. One more win and she will be #14 in the world, 100 ranking positions up, exactly. Absolutely bonkers if it happens.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Nah, can't imagine two Raducanu moments happening within the same decade.
But it's an amazing run.

 

[PDJ]

Incredible