Why French Open’s Cinderella Runs May Not Play in Wimbledon’s Main Draw

For the second year in a row, the French Open women’s singles tournament has a Cinderella run, after former world No. 114 Maja Chwalińska went from the qualifying rounds to reach the semifinals. However, the timing of the tournament may make it harder for her to capitalize.

Last year, French hometown favorite Lois Boisson made a run to the semifinals as a wild card, despite being ranked No. 361 in the world. Even though her ranking shot up to No. 65 after Paris, she was not one of the top 104 players in Wimbledon’s main draw, with the entry lists being finalized in mid-May, before the French Open began. 

Boisson was not awarded a 2025 Wimbledon wild card (main draw spots are given to a select eight players in the men’s and women’s draws who wouldn’t have qualified with their ranking), with the tournament prioritizing them for players who did well there in past years, or garnered British interest. She lost in the first round of qualifying that tournament, which she could have bypassed with her post-French Open ranking.

A similar fate may await Chwalińska, whose live ranking shot up to No. 30 (which would have made her seeded at Wimbledon had she achieved this mark earlier). The Polish player could make it even further on her French Open run, as she avoided playing No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in her semifinal and will instead face No. 25 Diana Shnaider. 

Chwalińska is listed as the 14th main draw alternate for Wimbledon, meaning she can only bypass qualifiers if 14 players ranked ahead of her withdraw before the tournament’s main draw is made a few days before play begins. 

Both Boisson and Chwalińska had never made it past the second round of a Grand Slam prior to their respective French Open runs. But Chwalińska has seen more Wimbledon success, making it to the second round last year while Boisson never played in the main draw.

Big Financial Bump

The difference between a main draw and a qualifying spot at Wimbledon is significant. In 2025, playing in the Wimbledon first round netted players about $88,617 (66,0000 GBP), while the opening round of qualifiers earned players around $20,811 (15,500 GBP). The three qualifying matches required to earn a main draw berth are played the week before the main draw, giving players who made deep French Open runs just two weeks to prepare for the grass-court tournament. 

For lower-ranked WTA players, Grand Slam prize money can be life-changing. Notably, Chwalińska’s winnings from the French Open so far total $870,000, exceeding her total career earnings of $864,030 prior to the tournament. The 24-year-old stepped away from tennis for 18 months between 2021 and 2022 due to struggles with depression. 

Boisson’s career earnings saw an even bigger bump. Before the 2025 French Open, she earned $148,009, but went  home with more than $784,000 for her semis run.

Boisson’s—and possibly Chwalińska’s—hurdle is specifically unique to the short French Open-Wimbledon turnaround in recent years, as they are currently the only 2025 or 2026 Grand Slam semi-finalists ranked outside the top 100. 

A Wimbledon spokesperson told Front Office Sports on Monday that wild cards for its tournament would be discussed and finalized the week of June 15. They later said Wednesday it doesn’t confirm whether players request wild cards or not.

“The Committee considers a variety of factors when deciding wild-card recipients, including ranking, results, and current form; success at lead-in grass court tournaments and previously at The Championships; and any other special circumstances that warrant consideration,” the spokesperson told FOS.

Chwalińska takes on Shnaider in the semifinals at 10:10 ET on Thursday, with the winner facing either No. 8 Mirra Andreeva or No. 15 Marta Kostyuk.