“So I would like to take a rematch on grass or hardcourt”- that is what Anna Kalinskaya had to say about Maja Chwalinska at the French Open. The Russian had just lost the quarterfinal match against the Pole on the red clay in Paris, with Chwalinska’s arsenal of lobs, slices and drop shots completely bamboozling the former Top-20 player. While Kalinskaya was bullish about her chances against the Polish player on the faster surfaces, Chwalinska’s recent title run at the Wuhan Open will give the Russian some food for thought, while the Pole had something to say about the criticisms her game style has received this year.

“I think so,” said Chwalinska in a WTA interview after her maiden Tour-level title in Wuhan. ” I could hear the voices of others that I’m only good on clay, but I feel people sometimes are just trolls, and they just want to speak because no one listens to them, and they abort. It’s tough because you’re out there and you’re just very vulnerable. You can say nothing back.”

Even though her fairytale run as a qualifier at the French Open drew the attention of the tennis world, Chwalinska’s lack of a power game led many pundits and fans to question the efficacy of her game style on faster surfaces. The talk seemed to be merited as the Pole had a poor time on the North American hard courts, where she had a 1-4 win-loss record across events in Toronto, Cincinnati, Monterrey, and the US Open.

However, Chwalinska’s run at the Wuhan Open was not in isolation, as the Pole had a semifinal run at the Singapore Open. At the Wuhan Open, the Pole showed her ability to neutralize power players on a fast surface as well, beating the likes of Iva Jovic, Maria Sakkari, and Marie Bouzkova, all of whom are known as hard hitters of the tennis ball. The biggest feather in her cap was her semifinal win against Iga Swiatek, someone who has fifteen hard-court titles. While the former World No. 1 was struggling with an injury, nothing can take away Chwalinska’s great performance.

Chwalinska has not been the only player to show that finesse and touch can bring success on the WTA Tour rather than relying on power. Someone like Alexandra Eala has shown that an off-pace game has its tactical advantages, as the Filipino player has had a breakout year, with a fourth-round run at Wimbledon and a title in Washington, in a style with components similar to Chwalinska’s.

The run at the Wuhan Open seems to have given Chwalinska the confidence to play yet another hard-court event at the end of the season, with the Pole in prime position to break into the Top 10 early next year.

Maja Chwalinska to Play Yet Another Hard-Court Event This Year

With her Wuhan victory, Chwalinska is now all set to play at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, which could well be her last event of the year. The Pole is entering the event as the second seed behind the World No. 1, Elena Rybakina. Should the two meet, it will be a good opportunity for the Pole to see if her style holds up against the world’s very best.

Including all her Challenger and ITF matches she has played this year, Chwalinska has a 20-10 win-loss record on hard courts this year. Ahead of this season, the Pole did have two hard-court titles on the ITF Tour, while clay has been proven to be one of her stronger surfaces, having won five ITF and three Challenger titles on the dirt.

Ranked 11 at the moment, Chwalinska has a unique opportunity to break into the Top 10 at the Australian Open next year. Given that the Pole has no significant points to defend in Melbourne, a deep run at the tournament will help her get the points required to get into the Top 10, which would be a massive achievement for the 25-year-old, given that she finished the 2025 season ranked 150th.