Maja Chwalinska reached her first WTA 1000 final with a straight-sets victory over Iga Swiatek in an all-Polish semifinal at the Dongfeng • Voyah Wuhan Open on Saturday. Chwalinska will face Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal in Sunday’s final, with both players bidding for the biggest titles of their careers.

Although Chwalinska was the first to break serve in the opening set, Swiatek consolidated a break of her own to take a 5-3 lead. Chwalinska saved two set points in the ninth game, after which Swiatek took a medical timeout to address a leg injury.

The former world No. 1 appeared hampered by the injury after returning to the court, as Chwalinska won 10 of the next 11 games to complete a 7-5, 6-1 victory in two hours, eight minutes.

FINALIST IN WUHAN!👏 Maja Chwalinska defeats Swiatek in the semifinal! #dongfengvoyahwuhanopen https://t.co/AymxaASOnD

— wta (@WTA) October 17, 2026

The win levels the head-to-head record between the two countrywomen at 1-1, after Swiatek won their only previous meeting at an ITF event in Stockholm in 2016.

“From the beginning of the tournament, I kind of felt pain in my quad,” Swiatek said in her post-match press conference. “I’ve been able to manage that day by day and we were already thinking of withdrawing after I played with Magda in the first round but I was quite able to play normal, so I wanted to push, and we knew that it’s nothing like that it’s gonna get worse or something, so in that case, you just need to block it out. But today was just too much, and that’s unfortunate because I felt like we’re playing great tennis and wanted to continue. Later on, I knew it’s going to be tough to win, but I didn’t want to honestly retire because wanted Maja to win it normally.”

“It was such a physical match, especially the first set,” Chwalinska said after the match. “She had set points, so it was very close to lose this one. I feel like what I did well is I really fought for every single ball and I could, I mean, I ran to everything I could. So I think that was crucial because I made her like, she had to put extra effort. i really hope she’s going to be okay soon and hope she will qualify (for the WTA Finals).”

First top 10 win and second career final for Chwalinska

The victory also marks Chwalinska’s first career win over a top-10 opponent and the biggest win of her career by ranking. She advances to her second Tour-level final, following her run to the French Open final earlier this season.

With the achievement, the 25-year-old becomes only the second player to reach her first two career WTA-level finals at a Grand Slam and a Tier I/WTA 1000 event, after Amelie Mauresmo, who reached the Berlin final in 1998 and the Australian Open final in 1999.

Chwalinska has now won 17 Tour-level matches in 2026, including 11 on hard courts. Before this season, she had won only four matches at the Tour level.

“I felt very good in Singapore already,” she said. “I felt like my tennis was on a very good level there so it gave me more confidence for sure. And this one feels very special for sure. As you said, you know, you have thoughts. I’m just a human being and my brain works, I mean, too much and I have too many thoughts in my head. And so, of course, I get thoughts like maybe it’s just one tournament. I don’t want to have just one tournament. But I guess it’s not only normal that I care. So, this one feels good.”

First career meeting between Chwalinska and Kartal

Sunday’s final will mark the first career meeting between Chwalinska and Kartal. Since the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2014, two players ranked outside the WTA top 20 have reached the Wuhan final for the first time.

Two first-time WTA 1000 finalists, one title on the line 🏆 @MercedesBenz https://t.co/WySb2tzmLE

— wta (@WTA) October 17, 2026

“I’m expecting another tough battle as I have with every match,” Kartal told the media before learning who her opponent in the final would be. “It’s nice to play someone different, it’s going to be a challenge regardless of who it is, and I know that. I’m going to have to bring my best level to be able to come on top of that match. So, whichever one it is, I’ll be excited to play. I’m going to make sure that I enjoy every second on that court. I know it’s not a kind of everyday thing to achieve this, to go this far in these events. So, regardless of who it is or the outcome, I’m going to make sure that I really relish that moment.”

“I have seen a few of her matches,” the Pole said looking ahead to the final. “I was very impressed about the game. She plays with a lot of variety as well so I think it could be a fun one. Definitely very challenging. Hopefully, I will recover and we’ll have a great show.”