In a world of outsized expectations in professional and amateur athletes, we were delighted that the recent French Open had some excellent reminders about the joy of sports and the need to forge one’s own path. Let’s start with 24-year-old Maja Chwalinska of Poland, who was ranked 114th in the world entering the tournament.
Over a three-week period, she won three qualifying matches and then six main-draw matches to reach the finals, becoming the first qualifier in history to reach a French Open final. Her left-handed play, tactical variety, and openness about overcoming depression also garnered attention.
She noted that there are many great players outside the top 100 and said, “I wish them all the best. I hope that my story these last days is inspiring for them.”
Maja ultimately lost to 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva of Russia, who also made history with her first Grand Slam victory. This makes her the second youngest person to win a women’s French Open title in history (following Monica Seles, who won the Grand Slam in 1992 at age 18).
For Mirra, who played on a Siberian indoor court before she was old enough for school, it was always a question of not if, but when, she would mark this milestone. In one interview, she said, “People were saying I was going to be No. 1. That I was going to win the Slams. And I was like… ‘just let me enjoy’”.
She also acknowledged that the feeling of winning a Grand Slam was much better than dreaming about it. These two outstanding athletes remind us of the need to continuously learn and grow and always enjoy. As Arthur Ashe famously said, “You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own high standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy.”
