The brutal confession of Chwalinska after her first title: "People were very hard on me"

Carlos Navarro - 18 Oct 2026 | 19:33
Maja Chwalinska WTA Wuhan 2026 WTA

The Polish player was crowned in Wuhan and admitted that she had tough moments after reaching the final of Roland Garros, appearing almost incredulous about having achieved her first title at such times.

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Chwalinska, champion in Wuhan.

The name of Maja Chwalinska echoed strongly in the tennis firmament during the past Roland Garros. What was the reason? Not only did the Polish player, almost as an unknown, reach her first Grand Slam final on Parisian soil; but also the way she achieved it, with a countercultural tennis style, distanced from the power of many hard-hitters, showcasing a repertoire and variety in her tennis that seemed almost "outdated." Many predicted a meteoric rise, given the unorthodox nature of her style, but Maja experienced the usual shock after such success: injuries clouded her debut at Wimbledon, and the American tour also did not provide the desired continuity.

However, all of that is now in the past. The Polish player is now writing a new and brilliant chapter in her story at the WTA Wuhan 2026, the place where she claimed for the first time a WTA title. Her journey includes, once again, surprising victories, like the one she achieved against Swiatek in the semifinals, and a comeback in a final that seemed to be going in just one direction, denying Sonay Kartal the win after being down a set and a break. The indomitable spirit we first saw in Paris returned on Asian soil, making Maja the fourth player in the history of this sport to debut her title in a WTA 1000 event (this was achieved before by Bianca Andreescu, Naomi Osaka, and Victoria Mboko).

Chwalinska opened up and confessed the tough moments experienced after Roland Garros

It was not easy for Chwalinska to mentally digest what she achieved in Paris: she herself did not expect such a sudden and unexpected success. From being just another player on the circuit to witnessing, almost, a state reception in Poland: that propelled her to a new dimension... and also launched her without warning into the most ruthless jaws, those of critics who scrutinize if the level does not maintain over time. After defeats in debuts at major tournaments and a lack of continuity reminiscent of other 'one Slam wonders', Maja confessed after lifting the crown in Wuhan that, first of all, she did not expect a victory of this magnitude at this point in the season; not only that, but she also had harsh words for her most critical voices.

"This title means a lot to me. I must admit that it tastes very sweet (smiles). I feel that I still haven't truly realized that I've won, that I am the champion. I still need a few days to process it. It's a special moment for me: after Roland Garros, all that was incredible, but there came some very tough moments. I think that people were quite hard on me, and that took a toll on me. I'm just a person: I must admit that it was pretty tough, but I kept working very hard, and I'm very grateful that hard work has paid off today."

The match was a real roller coaster, yet another in a week where Chwalinska signed up for marathons: three sets against Bouzkova and Sakkari, along with a powerful first set that opened the doors against Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. After going down a set and a break in the final, many would have declared Miechów's representative dead, but the fighting spirit and her conviction that there was still a lot of tennis left to play made the difference. "My energy levels were very low at the start of the match. Sonay also played at an incredible level. She didn't let me show my best version, so I give her all the credit. I started slowly to play much better, much more aggressively, especially. The depth of my shots improved: I didn't feel good at first, but I'm proud of my fighting spirit", confessed the Polish player.

And now, what? After this victory, Maja will place herself at #11 in the world ranking, just a step away from breaking into the top ten players on the planet. The progression, of course, is meteoric: she started the year, as she herself admits, outside the top-140, which makes every victory come as an added bonus, especially since the goal for 2026 was achieved months ago. "I can't predict the future, so I don't know what will happen. What I do know is that I am very grateful to be at this stage today. I started the season around #140 in the world and my goal was to break into the top-100 this year. I did a good job, yes, but I still think there are many things to work on and improve in my tennis. That keeps me eager to keep working and improving." A path to stardom with ups and downs, but peaks that keep the light of a new acquisition in the tennis firmament alive. Count on her for 2027.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La brutal confesión de Chwalinska tras su primer título: "La gente fue muy dura conmigo"