On 2026-10-18, the Wuhan Open final took place. Maja Chwalinska, a 25-year-old Polish left-hander, defeated Sonay Kartal to win her first WTA 1000 title. This victory made her the fourth player to win a maiden WTA 1000 title and the third left-hander to do so since 2009.
Sonay Kartal, 24, had shown a strong comeback but faded in the final set, losing 2-6 6-4 6-2. The match lasted 2 hours and 43 minutes, with Kartal hitting 32 winners.
CHAMPION IN WUHAN 🏆 Maja Chwalinska seals the victory and claims her first WTA 1000 title after defeating Kartal in three sets 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. #dongfengvoyahwuhanopen https://t.co/UZOeMbcJKY
Chwalinska's victory moved her up to world No. 11 and earned her $665,000 in prize money. Both players were contesting their first WTA 1000 final.
The match lasted 2 hours and 43 minutes, with Kartal hitting 32 winners.
For Kartal, the loss meant she missed out on what would have been the biggest title of her career, but the run improved her ranking and returned her to British number one status.
Winning a WTA 1000 tournament for the first title of her career, just Maja Magic™ 🏆 Maja Chwalinska • Wuhan https://t.co/ha1q22RHqf
In a post-match interview, Kartal reflected: "It's not the result we wanted today, but those three people in my box are why I'm here, healthy and back to fitness."
Chwalinska's win marks her achievement of a first WTA 1000 title, while Kartal's performance represents a significant improvement in her ranking and a return to British number one status.
Brit Sonay Kartal misses out on the chance to win her first WTA1000 title after losing in three sets to Maja Chwalinska in the WTA Wuhan final. Kartal though rises 120 places to 50 in the world and is now the current British number one.