Maja Chwalinska wins first tour title with Wuhan comeback against Sonay Kartal

Maja Chwalinska claimed her first WTA Tour title on Sunday, recovering to beat Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the Wuhan Open final. The WTA reported that the Polish 16th seed completed the victory in two hours and 43 minutes, adding a WTA 1000 trophy to a season that already included a French Open final appearance.

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Chwalinska had to recover from a set and a break down before winning the last four games of the deciding set. Even then, the finish was demanding: she saved three break points while serving for the championship. According to the WTA, she became the fourth player since the format began in 2009 to earn her first tour title at WTA 1000 level, following Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu and Victoria Mboko.

Kartal had initially controlled the contest from the baseline. BBC Sport reported that she led 2-0 in the second set after taking the opener, but Chwalinska immediately recovered the break. The British player faced 13 break points during that second set and lost serve three times as the match moved into a decider.

Chwalinska then combined a drop shot with a lob to break for a 3-2 lead in the third set. She eventually converted her third championship point when Kartal sent a forehand long. The defeat ended Kartal's attempt to become the first British WTA 1000 champion since Johanna Konta in 2017.

For Kartal, the run still marked a major step in her return from a six-month absence with a back injury. BBC Sport said she would rise from 170th to 50th in Monday's rankings and become British number one for the first time. Her route to the final included victories over Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, Elina Svitolina and Jelena Ostapenko.

Chwalinska's own route included a 7-5, 6-1 semi-final victory over compatriot Iga Swiatek, according to the WTA's tournament coverage. Wuhan was her first final since Roland Garros, and this time she finished the week with the title.