The road has become pretty rocky for Maja Chwalinska following her success at the French Open. The Pole had defied all odds by reaching the final in Paris as a qualifier and ranking skyrocketed to No. 21. She was then handed a wildcard at Wimbledon, but ended up suffering a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat to qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the first round. If this wasn’t enough, Chwalinska also sustained an ankle injury during the match, resulting in a major setback.

Chwalinska has announced her withdrawal from the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open, which will commence on July 20. “Unfortunately, despite the positive progress with my ankle and on the advice of my medical team, I am not yet ready to return to competition,” she said in a statement. “Therefore, I have to withdraw from this year’s MSC Hamburg Ladies Open.”

The defeat in the first round of Wimbledon was quite a heartbreaking result for Chwalinska as she had been on the verge of winning the match at one stage. The 24-year-old had taken the first set convincingly and had then raced to a 5-2 lead in the second. With match point on her side, a win looked like the only possible outcome. But the match turned on its head after Chwalinska slipped on the grass behind the baseline and twisted her ankle on the next point.

Though the injury seemed to be minor at first, it forced Chwalinska to take a medical timeout and tape her right leg. But she still wasn’t able to move freely, and this allowed Sawangkaew to find an unexpected opening. The Thai player clinched the next four games to force the match into a decider.

Chwalinska’s injury only seemed to get worse as the match progressed, and the third set would prove to be pretty one-sided. The Pole wasn’t even able to run after the ball at one stage and was seen openly crying on the court. Despite her concerning condition, she refused to retire and played the match until the last point.

Sawangkaew eventually triumphed after two hours and 41 minutes, causing a major upset in the first round itself. The ankle injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Chwalinska, as not only did she lose the match because of it, but it also halted the momentum that she had built through the French Open.

It was clear that the injury was serious, as Chwalinska would soon have to withdraw from an event she was supposed to participate in because of her physical condition.

Maja Chwalinska also withdrew from the doubles draw at Wimbledon

Turns out Chwalinska had also entered the doubles draw at the SW19. She had formed a pair with Austria’s Sinja Kraus, and the two were scheduled to take on the duo of Ann Li and Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round.

Chwalinska had no choice but to pull out of the draw as she wasn’t in a condition to compete. This was the first time that the Pole had signed up for doubles at the Grand Slam, but she will now have to wait for another year to make her debut in the draw.

The ankle injury could also delay the hard-court season for Chwalinska. Though the Pole is making steady progress in her recovery, only time will tell how many matches she will be able to play before the US Open begins next month.

Chwalinska could be eyeing a return to the tour at the Mubadala DC Open that is set to commence on July 27. It is the first WTA 500 event of the hard-court season and will also kick off the North American swing.