Sonay Kartal Loses Wuhan Open Final to Maja Chwalinska
Sonay Kartal reached the final of the Wuhan Open, achieving a career-best ranking and becoming the British number one for the first time. However, she ultimately lost the final to Maja Chwalinska in a three-set match.
What happened
- Sonay Kartal defeated numerous ranked opponents throughout the Wuhan Open, including former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, and Elina Svitolina, before losing the final to Maja Chwalinska.
- Kartal dominated the first set and led in the second, but Chwalinska mounted a comeback, winning the third set and securing the WTA 1000 title.
- Kartal’s team supported her throughout the tournament, and she acknowledged their contribution before receiving the runners-up trophy.
- Following the match, Kartal stated she was pleased with her performance, despite the loss, and expressed gratitude for her team’s support.
- Chwalinska described her victory as ‘very sweet’ and acknowledged the challenges she had faced, particularly after her strong performance at the French Open final.
Original reporting
- BBC: Wuhan Open final: Sonay Kartal misses out on WTA 1,000 title, losing to Maja Chwalinska
2026-10-18T13:39:24.571000+00:00 - Guardian: Kartal denied biggest win of career after Chwalinska fightback in Wuhan Open final
2026-10-18T00:00:00+00:00