Chwalinska rallies to win first WTA title in Wuhan

Maja Chwalinska won the Wuhan Open on Sunday, recovering from a set down to defeat Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final and claim her first WTA Tour title. The Polish player, ranked No. 22 entering the tournament, took control after Kartal won the opening set. Chwalinska levelled the match by taking the second set 6-4, then secured the deciding set 6-2 to complete the comeback. Both players were competing in their first WTA 1000 final. The victory is a milestone in a season that has lifted Chwalinska from outside the top 100 to a major title. She reached the French Open final earlier this year and defeated compatriot Iga Swiatek in the Wuhan semifinals. Before this season, she had won four tour-level matches, according to tournament coverage; she has now recorded 18 in 2026. Chwalinska is set to rise to a career-high No. 11 in the rankings on Monday, according to information attributed to the WTA. The title also brings 1,000 ranking points and 665,000 in prize money. She is the fourth player to win a first tour-level title at a WTA 1000 event since the format began in 2009, joining Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu and Victoria Mboko. Kartal, ranked No. 170 before the...