Chwalinska’s run to the French Open final in June as a qualifier made her one of the season’s best underdog stories. Fast forward just a few months, and she’s already won her first WTA 1000 title. Here’s how she turned that breakthrough into a career-best season.

Maja Chwalinska Beats Sonay Kartal in Wuhan Open Final

Maja Chwalinska defeated unseeded Briton Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday to win the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open, her first career title and WTA 1000 crown. The 25-year-old Pole was seeded No. 16 and beat Iva Jovic, Maria Sakkari, and Iga Swiatek on her way to the final. The match lasted 2 hours and 43 minutes, and Chwalinska earned 1,000 ranking points and $665,000 for the win.

Chwalinska said her energy was very low at the start, and Kartal took the first set 6-2. Kartal also broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set and saved four break points in her next service game before Chwalinska converted her fifth to get back on serve. The momentum turned when Chwalinska broke for 4-3, and she won the second set 6-4 to force a decider.

In the third set, Chwalinska fought hard to secure a decisive break for 3-2, and didn’t lose another game after that, saving three break points while serving for the match. Kartal hit more winners (32-23) but also made more unforced errors (36-27), and there were no aces in the match. Chwalinska said afterward that although she didn’t feel well early on, “what I’m proud of is the fighting spirit.”

Chwalinska also credited her opponent after the match, saying, “Sonay played amazing. I think she didn’t let me play my best tennis, so all credit to her for not letting me play [well]. I feel like I gradually started to play much better, much more aggressive, I would say… Also, the depth of my shots improved.”

Chwalinska Wins Her First WTA Title

Sunday’s win comes with several notable firsts for Chwalinska, including winning her maiden WTA title and first 1000-level title in the same event. She also became the fourth player since 2009 to win her first career WTA title at the WTA 1000 level, after Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu, and Victoria Mboko.

In her press conference after the final, Chwalinska said, “It means a lot. It tastes very sweet, I [must] admit… I feel like I still don’t realize that I won. So I just need a few days.” “It feels special because after the French Open it was obviously amazing, but then I had some tough moments,” she continued, referencing her streak of early exits over the Summer.

A Strong Year-End for Both Players

After starting the season ranked outside of the top 140, Maja Chwalinska had turned 2026 into one of the best seasons of her young career. The result boosts Chwalinska’s ranking to a career-high No. 11, up from No. 22 last week. She’s still nearly 900 points behind No. 10 Marta Kostyuk, so a top-10 debut will likely take another title or a drop by someone ahead of her.

For Kartal, the week was also a breakthrough. The 24-year-old arrived ranked No. 170 after missing more than six months with a stress fracture in her back. She beat Ostapenko in the semifinals and advanced to the final unseeded, a result that moved her into the WTA top 50.

Chwalinska’s season was highlighted by a run to the French Open final as a qualifier, her first win over a top-10 player, and now her first WTA title. Wuhan was the last WTA 1000 event of the season, so she’ll be closing out the calendar with the biggest result of her career.