How Maja Chwalinska Overcame Depression to Make French Open 2026 Final: 'I Felt Lifeless'
Many Polish fans came to the French Open in 2026 hoping to see Iga Swiatek in the final. Instead, they have a new tennis star to root for: Maja Chwalinska, the 114th-ranked tennis player in the world, who is competing in the French Open final against Russian teen Mirra Andreeva.
The Cinderella story is even more powerful when you learn how close Chwalinska, who is competing for her first Grand Slam title, came to quitting tennis altogether. She overcame a struggle with depression and stress to return with a triumphant 2026 French Open performance, win or lose.
The left-handed player was born in October 2001 in Poland. She has never won a singles title. She "has been very open about her battle with depression, which kept her out of competition," according to WTA Tennis.
Maja Chwalinska Revealed She Felt 'Lifeless' While Struggling With Depression
In 2021, according to Reuters, Chwalinska announced that "she had been suffering with depression for over 18 months and was stepping away from the court."
"I pushed at the beginning. I thought that I just need to stay very strong, tough, and just keep practicing," Chwalinska told reporters of the situation after winning a match at the French Open in 2026.
"But then I just couldn't get out of bed anymore. I was just lifeless, to be honest. I knew that I need to take a break, because otherwise I'm just not able to live," she added.
"I honestly didn't know if I'm gonna come back or not. After, like, months, I decided to come back. I needed to figure out a few things in my head, I would say. And I came back. I'm happy that I did."
Today, Maja Chwalinska Has a Tattoo Reading 'Free.'
According to BBC, she has a tattoo on her hand reading, "Free."
She sought help from mental health specialists back home, BBC reported, after suffering from depression so deeply that she struggled to get out of bed.
She associated tennis with "pressure, stress and crying," WTA Tennis reported.
"After returning to live at her family home, being surrounded by her close friends and seeing a specialist, Chwalinska began to heal. A key part of that healing was simply announcing her battle with depression, and she began to understand the immense support she had in her close circle," WTA Tennis explained, adding that she ran and boxed to help deal with the depression issues.
"The results don't define me as much as they did before," Chwalinska said to WTA Tennis. "I just couldn't differentiate like Maja and tennis player. I was just one. I just needed time to kind of figure it out, and also do something else, - not just tennis. She is 24 years old.
She ended up taking a four-month break from the sport, but soon wanted to come back and play again, according to BBC.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 6:23 AM.