Chwalińska wins Wuhan title after comeback against Britain's Sonay Kartal

Maja Chwalińska secured her first WTA Tour title on Sunday, overcoming Britain's Sonay Kartal 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 in the Wuhan Open final. The Polish player recovered from a set and a break down to win the WTA 1000 event after two hours and 43 minutes.

Kartal controlled the opening set and carried that advantage into the second, putting Chwalińska under pressure to change the direction of the contest. The No. 16 seed gradually recovered, negotiated a difficult passage at 4–4 and forced a deciding set rather than allowing the final to slip away.

Chwalińska then won the final four games, although completing the victory still demanded composure. She saved three break points while serving for the championship before finally closing out the match. The turnaround denied Kartal a title after the Briton had taken the early initiative.

The victory followed Chwalińska's win over compatriot Iga Świątek in the semi-finals. According to the WTA, she became the third Polish player to claim a WTA 1000 title, following Agnieszka Radwańska and Świątek, and the first left-hander to win one since Petra Kvitová's Miami success in 2023.

Kartal, ranked 170th, had entered the tournament using a protected ranking.

Chwalińska’s route to the trophy also followed an earlier breakthrough in Paris. Chwalińska reached this year's Roland Garros final from qualifying. Wuhan was only her fourth appearance in a WTA 1000 tournament and her second tour final, giving Sunday's victory particular weight in a season already marked by a major step forward.

Sources

• Chwalinska’s breakout season reaches new heights with a WTA 1000 title in Wuhan — WTA (2026-10-18)
• Chwalinska estrena su palmarés — AS (2026-10-18)