Polish tennis player Maja Chwalińska has completed a remarkable week in China by winning the Wuhan Open, fighting back from a set and a break down to defeat Britain’s Sonay Kartal 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 in Sunday’s final.
The 25-year-old secured her first WTA Tour singles title in extraordinary fashion, overcoming a difficult start against an inspired British opponent before taking control of the deciding set.
The victory in the WTA 1000 tournament on 18 October represents the biggest title of Chwalińska’s career and follows her surprise semi-final victory over fellow Pole Iga Świątek the previous day.
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In its report on the Wuhan final, Sky Sports confirmed that Kartal had established a one-set, one-break advantage before Chwalińska overturned the deficit to claim the championship.
A comeback from the brink in Wuhan
Kartal made the stronger start in the final, winning the opening set 6–2 and moving a break ahead in the second as she threatened to complete her own remarkable comeback story.
But Chwalińska refused to let the match slip away.
The Polish player recovered the break and gradually shifted the momentum, taking the second set 6–4 to force a decider.
With the championship on the line, Chwalińska maintained her improvement in the third set. She completed the comeback 6–2, becoming the Wuhan Open champion and securing the first tour-level singles title of her career.
The final was particularly significant because neither player had previously contested a WTA 1000 championship match. As the WTA noted in its official tournament preview, it was also the first Wuhan final since the event began in 2014 to feature two players ranked outside the world’s top 20.
Victory over Świątek sets up historic title
Chwalińska’s triumph came just 24 hours after one of the most significant victories of her career.
In Saturday’s all-Polish semi-final, she defeated six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek 7–5, 6–1.
The match carried special significance because the two players have known each other since childhood and previously competed together in junior doubles.
Świątek had led 5–3 in the opening set and held two set points, but Chwalińska recovered before her compatriot required treatment for a left-leg injury.
According to the WTA’s official semi-final report, Świątek appeared physically hampered after returning to the court, while Chwalińska went on to win 10 of the next 11 games.
The victory sent Chwalińska into her first WTA 1000 final and provided the platform for Sunday’s championship success.
Her Wuhan campaign also included victories over Mayar Sherif, Marie Bouzková, Iva Jovic and Maria Sakkari.
Against Sakkari in the quarter-finals, Chwalińska survived a demanding three-set encounter, winning 6–0, 3–6, 7–5.
Those performances demonstrated the effectiveness of her varied left-handed game on hard courts, following her breakthrough at the French Open earlier this year.
From French Open finalist to WTA 1000 champion
Chwalińska has enjoyed a breakthrough 2026 season, highlighted by her unexpected run to the French Open final at Roland Garros.
She reached that championship match after coming through qualifying, establishing herself as one of the year’s notable emerging players.
Her success in Wuhan now adds a major hard-court achievement to that Grand Slam breakthrough.
Entering the tournament ranked world No. 22 and seeded 16th, Chwalińska was already positioned to enter the world’s top 15 following her run to the final, according to the WTA’s pre-match projections.
Her victory is expected to lift her further when the rankings are updated.
The champion also earns 1,000 ranking points and a prize of $665,000, according to the WTA’s published Wuhan prize-money information.
Kartal’s remarkable return ends in defeat
Although Kartal narrowly missed out on the biggest title of her career, the British player’s performance in Wuhan represented an extraordinary return to top-level tennis.
The 24-year-old entered the tournament ranked No. 170 after spending approximately six months away from competition because of a back injury.
Despite her low ranking, she defeated several established players, including Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, Elina Svitolina and Jelena Ostapenko.
Her semi-final victory over Ostapenko came in two closely contested tie-breaks, earning her a place in just the second tour-level final of her career.
Kartal had previously won a WTA 250 tournament in Monastir in 2024.
The WTA’s account of her injury comeback highlighted how quickly she had returned to competitive form after her extended absence.
Her defeat in Wuhan does little to diminish a tournament in which she exceeded expectations and established herself as a serious contender against higher-ranked opponents.
For Chwalińska, however, Sunday’s result marks a new career milestone: a first WTA Tour singles championship, secured at one of the most prestigious tournaments outside the four Grand Slams.
