Maja Chwalinska is the new champion of the Wuhan Open after a thrilling final win over Sonay Kartal.
Chwalinska beat Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a high-quality final in China that lasted two hours and 43 minutes. The Pole claimed her maiden WTA title with the superb success, which sees her rise 11 places in the rankings to world number 11.
Meanwhile, Kartal has climbed a mammoth 121 places in the rankings to world number 49 following her lengthy stay at the Wuhan Open. But their fantastic runs have taken a toll on both players, with Chwalinska and Kartal both deciding to withdraw from their next scheduled events.
Maja Chwalinska and Sonay Kartal withdraw from events after Wuhan Open final
Chwalinska was in the draw for the Ningbo Open, but has decided to pull out, citing a left thigh injury. And Kartal has done the same for the Japan Open, citing a right knee injury.
The former is a WTA 500 tournament and the latter is a WTA 250 event, taking place in Ningbo, China, and Osaka respectively. The two hard-court events are both scheduled for 19-25 October.
While it is always disappointing to have withdrawals in the tennis calendar, the decisions from the two players come as no surprise. They were pushed to the very limit in Wuhan, and deserve time off following their impressive runs.
Wuhan Open champion Chwalinska also beat the likes of Iga Swiatek and Iva Jovic at the WTA 1000 tournament, while runner-up Kartal knocked out high-profile players such as Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic.
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Maja Chwalinska joins exciting WTA list after Wuhan Open title
Of course, while Kartal deserves huge credit for her stunning displays, Chwalinska deserves her spot in the limelight. The Pole also knocked out Mayar Sherif, Marie Bouzkova and Maria Sakkari en route to lifting the trophy.
And she has now joined an exclusive group following her success, with Chwalinska becoming the fourth player to win a maiden WTA 1000 title in the 2026 season. She has followed in the footsteps of Doha champion Karolina Muchova, Madrid champion Marta Kostyuk, and recent Beijing champion Zheng Qinwen.
The situation shows just how open and exciting the latest WTA season has been, with the Wuhan Open also proving that Chwalinska’s sensational French Open run was no fluke. She also reached the Roland Garros final in June, but was beaten by young star Mirra Andreeva.
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