Chwalińska’s hotel – Maja Chwalińska, a 24-year-old qualifier, said she struggled to pay for her hotel in Paris—then surged to the women’s final at Roland-Garros after beating Diana Shnaider in the semifinal. The run has secured her a €1.4 million payday, with the champion’s prize
By the time Maja Chwalińska reached the semifinal at Roland-Garros, the math had already become urgent. She had to win three matches just to get into the main draw of the second Grand Slam of the year—and she was doing it while waiting for prize money that doesn’t arrive until the tournament ends.
After beating Russia’s Diana Shnaider on Thursday to secure her place in Saturday’s final, the 24-year-old qualifier also locked in a seven-figure check. If she wins, Chwalińska will take home €2.8 million, about $3.25 million. If she loses, the runner-up prize is €1.4 million, about $1.63 million.
Her rise has come with an unusually personal reminder that tennis—especially outside the sport’s top tier—can be financially tight even during its biggest moments. During an on-court interview after one of her early matches. Chwalińska said she was running out of money to pay for her hotel in Paris. She had already earned roughly $150,000 by reaching the second round, but players receive their prize money after the tournament ends.
“I mentioned in the interview after the match against Maria [Sakkari] that I actually struggled to pay for the hotel. because you know that we get the check after the tournament. ” Chwalińska said in a separate post-match interview. She added that the Polish company Oshee, which also sponsors Świątek, stepped in to help cover her lodging.
That reality sits in stark contrast to what spectators see from the outside. For lower-ranked players. the grind is often self-funded: travel. hotels. coaching. meals. and the cost of getting from one tournament to the next. A week at a lower-level event can end with a small prize-money check. only for expenses to swallow most of it.
Chwalińska entered Roland-Garros ranked outside the top 100. After Thursday’s win, she is projected to jump to around No. 21. That ranking would mean direct entry into the main draws of the remaining Grand Slams this year, instead of forcing her to battle through qualifying again.
The numbers of the tournament make the leap feel even sharper. She is just the second women’s qualifier in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final—Emma Raducanu was the first. doing it at the 2021 US Open and going on to win it. Chwalińska is also the first qualifier ever to reach the Roland-Garros final.
Asked after Thursday’s win what it felt like to reach the final, Chwalińska was at a loss for words. “Like a dream,” she said on court. “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what to say.”
She is not done yet. Saturday gives her a chance to double her prize money—if she extends the run one more match and wins the title.
“I feel like in tennis you’re always hungry,” Chwalińska said after the fourth round. “You kind of set one goal, but then you reach it, and you want more. So, very grateful for this moment, but I definitely want more.”
Her opponent in the final is Mirra Andreeva, 19, ranked No. 8 in the world. Andreeva will have fresher legs after playing six matches to Chwalińska’s nine. Andreeva is also making her first Grand Slam final appearance.
The prize money breakdown at the 2026 French Open underscores how each round can change a player’s financial life—especially for someone whose season was already about surviving the gap between earning and getting paid. First round: €87,000, or about $101,000. Second round: €130,000, or about $151,000. Third round: €187,000, or about $217,000. Fourth round: €285,000, or about $331,000. Quarterfinals: €470,000, or about $546,000. Semifinals: €750,000, or about $871,000. Finalist: €1.4 million, or about $1.63 million. Champion: €2.8 million, or about $3.25 million.
For Chwalińska, Saturday’s match carries more than a title. It turns a story that began with uncertainty—worrying about how to pay for a hotel in Paris—into a moment where the payoff is no longer theoretical.
Maja Chwalińska Roland-Garros French Open women’s singles final Diana Shnaider Mirra Andreeva Oshee prize money tennis qualifiers Iga Świątek sponsor financial pressure in tennis
So she said she couldn’t pay her hotel in Paris and then somehow wins millions? Wild. Tennis is rigged or something lol.
I don’t get why prize money doesn’t come until after?? That’s insane. If she’s literally broke in Paris the whole time, how is anyone supposed to compete.
Wait, I thought she was the one from Russia? Like Diana Shnaider sounds Russian so I assumed Maja was too. Anyway if a sponsor paid her hotel then yeah that’s real “help,” but it still seems unfair that it even has to be like that.
This is why tennis people always look so stressed. She’s grinding qualifiers and can’t even pay for a hotel and then they’re acting like it’s all glam. Also $150k by the second round sounds like a lot but not when Paris prices are crazy and checks don’t hit til later. Good for her though, 2.8m is no joke.