Maja Chwalinska recovered from a set and a break down to win her first WTA Tour title in Wuhan. On October 18, 2026, she defeated Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in two hours and 43 minutes.
Kartal broke first in the second set for 2-0. In the next return game, Chwalinska missed four break points before converting her fifth, eventually taking a second set that lasted 71 minutes.
Chwalinska won the final five games of the deciding set. She broke for 3-2, extended the lead and saved three break points in the game in which she served out the match.
WTA identified her as the fourth player since the format began in 2009 to win a first tour title at WTA 1000 level. The others were Naomi Osaka at Indian Wells in 2018, Bianca Andreescu there in 2019, and Victoria Mboko in Montreal in 2025.
For runner-up Sonay Kartal, the final also marked a comeback milestone. A six-month absence with a back injury had left her at No. 170; WTA’s October 18 projection put her at No. 50 on the next list. Chwalinska said she had kept working through a difficult period and harsh reactions following her Roland Garros final.
