Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

Kartal denied biggest win of career after Chwalinska fightback in Wuhan Open final

Maja Chwalinska secured her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Wuhan Open, staging a comeback to defeat Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Despite an early lead and a strong start to the match, Kartal struggled with physical exhaustion following her recent return from a six-month injury layoff.

The result marks a significant achievement for Chwalinska, who previously reached the French Open final as a qualifier earlier this year.

For Kartal, the runner-up finish concludes a historic run as the lowest-ranked finalist in the tournament's history since 2009. Although she fell short of the trophy, her performance propels her to a career-high ranking of 50, establishing her as the new British number one.

This final appearance follows her previous tour victory at a minor tournament in Tunisia earlier in 2024.

Up nextTennis· 44m ago

Sonay Kartal sends message to Maja Chwalinska immediately after losing to her in the Wuhan Open final