Fifth seed Qinwen Zheng suffered a shocking first-round exit at Roland-Garros, falling to Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska 6-4, 6-0 in just one hour and 30 minutes.
The opening set was tightly contested, with both players trading breaks before reaching 4-4. From that point on, Chwalinska seized complete control, winning the final eight games of the match without reply from the Olympic champion.
For Zheng, this marks her first opening-round loss at the French Open. The 2024 semi-finalist appeared to lose all confidence after failing to consolidate her advantage in the first set, and the second-set bagel reflected a total collapse from the Chinese star.
Chwalinska, meanwhile, is enjoying a remarkable run in Paris. Through four victories, three in qualifying and one in the main draw, the Pole has yet to drop a set. Her aggressive baseline game and composure under pressure proved too much for her higher-ranked opponent.
The qualifier will face a more manageable opponent in the second round, opening the door to a promising first week in the women's draw. For Zheng, this Roland-Garros ends before it ever truly began.
