Maja Chwalinska rallies past Sonay Kartal to win Wuhan Open for first WTA title

Maja Chwalinska's remarkable 2026 has a WTA 1000 trophy to show for it. The 25-year-old Pole, who reached this year's Roland-Garros final through qualifying, came from a set and a break down to beat Britain's Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the Wuhan Open final on Sunday, 18 October. The win, achieved in two hours and 43 minutes, is her first WTA title of any kind.

How the final turned

Kartal, ranked No. 170 in the world, raced through the opening set and was a break up in the second, seemingly on course to complete one of the most unlikely title runs in the tour's history. Chwalinska steadied herself, reached 4-4 in the second set and then won the last four games to force a decider.

The No. 16 seed carried that momentum into the third set. Serving for the title, she had to save three break points before sealing a victory that earned her 1,000 ranking points and US$665,000 in prize money.

A draw full of statement wins

Chwalinska's week included her first win over a top-10 player, a 7-5, 6-1 semi-final victory over No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek, who was reported to be short of full fitness. Before that she beat Mayar Sherif, Marie Bouzkova, No. 10 seed Iva Jovic and Maria Sakkari, the last in a tight three-setter that sent her into a WTA 1000 semi-final for the first time.

The title places her in select company. She is only the fourth player since the WTA 1000 tier was created in 2009 to make a WTA 1000 event the venue for her first tour-level title, after Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu and Victoria Mboko. She is also the first left-hander to win at this level since Petra Kvitova in Miami in 2023, and the third Polish woman to reach a WTA 1000 final after Agnieszka Radwanska and Swiatek.

The rise has been rapid. Chwalinska started the year ranked No. 146 and had won only four tour-level matches in her career before 2026. She has won 18 this season and is set to climb to a career-high No. 11 in the rankings.

Kartal's record-breaking run ends one step short

Kartal leaves Wuhan with plenty of credit. She became the lowest-ranked WTA 1000 finalist since 2009, beating the previous mark set by Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was No. 153 when she reached the 2019 Cincinnati final.

The British player beat five former WTA 1000 finalists on her way to the final: Anhelina Kalinina, Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, Elina Svitolina and Jelena Ostapenko. It was only her second tour-level event since retiring with a lower back injury at Indian Wells in March, and she is just the second British woman to reach a WTA 1000 final, after Johanna Konta.

What comes next

The Asian swing continues this week with the WTA 500 event in Ningbo from 19 to 25 October, where Swiatek and Marta Kostyuk are chasing the final qualifying place for the WTA Finals. Karolina Muchova currently holds the advantage in that race and is not playing this week.

Key takeaways

• Maja Chwalinska beat Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the Wuhan Open, her first WTA title.
• She beat Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in the semi-finals for her first top-10 win.
• Chwalinska is set to rise to a career-high No. 11, having started 2026 at No. 146.
• Kartal, ranked No. 170, became the lowest-ranked WTA 1000 finalist since 2009.
• The race for the last WTA Finals spot continues in Ningbo this week.

FAQ

Who won the 2026 Wuhan Open? Maja Chwalinska of Poland won the title, beating Britain's Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final on 18 October.

Is this Chwalinska's first WTA title? Yes. Wuhan is her first tour-level title. Her previous best result was reaching the Roland-Garros final as a qualifier earlier in 2026.

Why was Sonay Kartal's run so significant? At No. 170, she became the lowest-ranked player to reach a WTA 1000 final since the tier began in 2009, and she beat five former WTA 1000 finalists on the way.

Sources: WTA, Tennis Majors, Olympics.com, Dawn, Last Word on Sports