WUHAN/STARNBERG, October 19, 2026
Maja Chwalinska completed a remarkable comeback to win the 2026 Dongfeng • Voyah Wuhan Open, defeating Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a thrilling final on Sunday. Trailing by a set and a break on Centre Court, the 25-year-old Pole turned the match around with her fighting spirit, tactical intelligence and impressive variety to secure the biggest title of her career after two hours and 45 minutes.
Kartal initially looked in control, using the power and spin of her forehand to dictate proceedings. The British No. 1 raced through the opening set and established a 2-0 lead in the second, putting herself within touching distance of the title. However, Chwalinska refused to surrender. She gradually found her rhythm, improved the depth of her shots and began using the court more effectively to push her opponent into difficult positions.
The turning point came when Chwalinska broke back for 2-1 after saving two opportunities for Kartal to extend her advantage to 3-0. From there, the Pole raised her level, eventually taking the second set 6-4 before dominating the decider. Despite facing three break points while serving for the championship, she held her nerve to convert her third match point and celebrate an emotional victory.
What a MOMENT for Maja 🤯
Maja Chwalinska claims her maiden WTA 1000 title in Wuhan!
#dongfengvoyahwuhanopen https://t.co/o0F3gmaF5l
— wta (@WTA) October 18, 2026
“I feel that what I’m proud of is the fighting spirit that I had. I just wanted to fight for every single ball, and I hoped that it would click at some point,” Chwalinska said after the final.
The new champion also explained how she has developed her game to compensate for her physical limitations. “I’m not very strong physically at all. I was always slower than others, so I feel I had to develop other weapons. I knew that I had to be a bit smarter, and I felt like taking advantage of the geometry of the court more just made my opponent run a bit more. I want to use every angle I can and every centimetre of the court.”
The Wuhan triumph adds another remarkable chapter to Chwalinska’s breakthrough season. After reaching her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, she has now claimed her maiden WTA title at the highest level. She becomes only the fourth player to win her first WTA title at a WTA 1000 event, following Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu and Victoria Mboko.
Having initially set herself the goal of breaking into the world’s Top 100 this season, Chwalinska has far exceeded her own expectations and is now set to reach a career-high ranking of No. 11.
“After the amazing French Open, I had some tough moments. I feel people were also very rough towards me, and it took a toll on me as well. I’m just a human. But I kept working really hard. I’m just very grateful for my work,” she reflected.
