Maja Chwalinska rallies past Sonay Kartal to claim Wuhan Open title

Maja Chwalinska won the Wuhan Open on Sunday, recovering to defeat Britain’s Sonay Kartal 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 and secure her first WTA Tour title. According to BBC Sport’s Jonathan Jurejko, the 25-year-old Polish player claimed her first WTA 1,000 trophy after overturning a deficit of a set and a break. The victory followed her run to the French Open final earlier this year.

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Kartal controlled much of the opening set with consistent baseline play, choosing moments to increase the pace and hit winners. After early breaks of serve on both sides, she broke again to lead 3–1. She eventually converted her third set point, which was also her seventh break opportunity of the match, to take the opener 6–2 and move within one set of the title.

The second set brought a more demanding contest. Kartal saved three break points in its opening game and then established a 2–0 lead, but Chwalinska broke back immediately. The Polish player varied her game as the rallies tested Kartal, who had sought medical advice between sets. Kartal faced 13 break points during the set and lost serve three times as Chwalinska levelled the match by taking it 6–4.

Chwalinska maintained that momentum in the deciding set. A drop shot followed by a lob helped the left-hander break for a 3–2 advantage, and she stayed ahead to complete the comeback. She secured the championship on her third match point when Kartal sent a forehand long. For Kartal, defeat ended an attempt to become the first British winner of a WTA 1,000 title since Johanna Konta in 2017.

The final was only Kartal’s 10th match since returning from a six-month absence with a back injury, and Wuhan was her third tournament back. The 24-year-old entered through a protected injury ranking despite starting the event at world number 170. Her route to the final included victories over Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini and Elina Svitolina, followed by a semi-final win against Jelena Ostapenko.

Despite the defeat, Kartal’s run carries a significant ranking reward. BBC Sport reported that she was set to rise to world number 50 in Monday’s rankings and become British number one for the first time. Speaking after the final, she credited her team for helping her return to health and fitness and acknowledged that her level during the week had exceeded expectations.