Maja Chwalinska has won the Wuhan Open. The 16th seed from Poland came from a set and a break down to beat Sonay Kartal 2-6 6-4 6-2 in Sunday's final, lifting her first WTA title after 2 hours 43 minutes.
A slow start, a strong finish
Kartal, whose run had already rewritten the record books, dominated the first set and broke for 2-0 in the second. Chwalinska fought back on serve after Kartal had saved four break points, and the second set — 71 minutes long — swung her way at the end, the WTA reported. In the decider she broke for 3-2, won the last five games and saved three break points while serving for the title.
"It means a lot. It tastes very sweet, I [must] admit," Chwalinska said, adding that her energy level had been "very low at the beginning". Kartal hit more winners, but Chwalinska's returning made the difference, according to the Associated Press.
A historic week for Poland
The title capped a remarkable week. Chwalinska came from a set down against Marie Bouzkova in the second round, beat 10th seed Iva Jovic and Maria Sakkari, then beat Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the first all-Polish WTA semi-final of the Open Era (our preview), saving two set points in the opening set.
The records followed, according to the WTA: she is only the fourth player since 2009 to win her first WTA title at a WTA 1000 event, after Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu and Victoria Mboko; the first left-handed WTA 1000 champion since Petra Kvitova in Miami in 2023; and the third Polish woman to win a WTA 1000, after Agnieszka Radwanska and Swiatek. She is projected to rise from No 22 to a career-high No 11 — having started the season, she said, around No 140.
What next for Kartal
For Kartal, the defeat does not take the shine off an extraordinary comeback week. Playing only her second event after six months out with a back injury, the Briton beat Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, Elina Svitolina and Jelena Ostapenko, and is projected to rise about 120 places to around No 50, making her British No 1, as Sky Sports noted.
The WTA moves on to the final events before the WTA Finals in Indian Wells. Follow them on our live tennis scores and the WTA rankings.
Sources
This article was written by TiebreakNews from the reporting below, checked against official results and rankings.
- WTA — Chwalinska's breakout season reaches new heights with a WTA 1000 title in Wuhan
- Associated Press (via ABC News) — Maja Chwalinska clinches her first career title after beating Sonay Kartal at the Wuhan Open
- Sky Sports — What next for Kartal after 'unbelievable week' in Wuhan
- Kuwait Times / AFP — Chwalinska fights back to win Wuhan Open for maiden title