Former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek suffered a painful defeat in an all-Polish Wuhan Open semifinal against Maja Chwalinska, losing 7-5 6-1, but the result was overshadowed by a worrying left thigh injury that could bring her 2026 season to a definite end.
The match was the first all-Polish semifinal clash at a Tour-level tournament in the Open Era. However, the WTA has previously witnessed an all-Polish final, when Magda Linette defeated Magdalena Frech to win the 2024 Prague title.
At times, Swiatek appeared visibly distressed and on the verge of tears. Late in the opening set, she called for a medical timeout to receive treatment on her left thigh, with the pain and discomfort clearly affecting her immensely.
Iga Swiatek is struggling 💔 https://t.co/7qIoxplNqS
— Kalshi Tennis (@KalshiTen) October 17, 2026
The six-time Grand Slam champion initially showed tremendous fight, recovering from an early break to level at 3-3 before moving ahead 5-3. However, with the set within her grasp, Swiatek missed two set points in the following game, allowing Chwalinska to break back and seize control. Swiatek eventually lost four consecutive games and surrendered the set.
Despite her obvious discomfort, the world No. 9 chose to continue, but she greatly struggled to compete, managing to win just one game in the second set before her Wuhan campaign ended in defeat.
Chwalinska has now claimed the first Top 10 victory of her career. In the upcoming final, the Roland Garros runner-up will face fellow Wuhan debutante Sonay Kartal, who made history by becoming the lowest-ranked player ever to reach a WTA 1000 final.
