Swiatek's deadly setback in Wuhan against her close friend

Andrés Tomás Rico - 17 Oct 2026 | 16:42
WTA Iga Swiatek Maja Chwalinska WTA Wuhan 2026

The Polish player falls in the semifinals of Wuhan against Chwalinska, who will play her first final of a WTA 1000, and her chances of qualifying for the WTA Finals become complicated.
 

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Swiatek's deadly stumble in Wuhan against her close friend. Photo: Getty Images

Joy is shared by many, just ask Maja Chwalinska and Iga Swiatek. The former, after reaching the Roland Garros final a few months ago, makes it to her first WTA 1000 final after defeating the latter in the semifinals of the WTA Wuhan 7-5, 6-1 and will face Sonay Kartal in the final. Meanwhile, the former world number one suffers another setback in a 2026 she would rather forget, complicating her hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals.

No one predicted such a tragic and inconsistent 2026 for Iga Swiatek, who might end it without qualifying for the WTA Finals and outside the Top 10. Mathematically, she still has options, although there is only one spot left to be filled between her and Karolina Muchova. The Polish player is currently ninth with 4,190 points, while the Czech player is seventh with 4,735 points (Linda Noskova is eighth but has secured her spot after winning Wimbledon) and there are still two WTA 500 tournaments in Asia: Ningbo and Tokyo to be played.

Swiatek still has chances to enter the WTA Finals

In fact, Muchova is not registered for either tournament, and the difference between them is 545 points. Therefore, the Polish player would need to at least reach the finals of both events, as that would yield 325 points for each final. In short, if she wins one of the two titles and achieves a good result in the other, her chances of entering the WTA Finals remain alive.

Even so, even if she qualifies for the WTA Finals, Swiatek's year is underwhelming. Not only because this is her first year since 2020 without winning a Grand Slam, but also due to the inconsistent performances she has shown on the court, alternating great matches with very poor ones when regularity has always been her main strength.

She herself warned upon her arrival in Wuhan: “This season has undoubtedly been the most challenging of my life. That's why every victory still holds significant value for me. Obviously, I will try to accumulate as many wins as I can from now until the end of the year,” confessed a Swiatek who started the year with Wim Fisette in her corner and ends it with Francis Roig, who has managed to bring some green shoots, but she is still far from her best version.

Meanwhile, the bright side of the match goes to Maja Chwalinska, who by reaching her first WTA 1000 final achieves her highest ranking . However, she could move to 11th place if she manages to defeat Kartal in tomorrow's final.

Chwalinska commented before the duel with her compatriot that it would be a very special match, as they have known each other since childhood and even won Junior European Championships titles together in both the under-14 category in 2015 and the under-16 category in 2016, and they were runners-up in the women's doubles at the 2017 Australian Open.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tropiezo mortal de Swiatek en Wuhan ante su amiga íntima