The all-Polish semifinal between Iga Swiatek and Maja Chwalinska at the Wuhan Open was billed as a match with good vibes between two competitors who have known each other for over a decade off the court. In reality, good vibes were the last thing that match had, given how it ended for the former World No. 1, who made a tearful exit, while her physio had to field some awkward questions from fans.

Iga Swiatek’s Physio Asks for the Pole to Retire Mid-Match

The match started on a competitive note, with both players trading breaks of serve in the middle of the first set. However, it was Swiatek who took the initiative and had a 5-3 lead and an opportunity to close out the set. This is where Chwalinska raised her game, winning three games in a row while saving multiple set points. At 6-5 in the first set, Swiatek took a medical timeout, receiving treatment to her left leg.

The former World No. 1 did give it a shot once she came back, as she had a break point to level the set at 6-6, but her movement was clearly restricted due to the injury, which saw Chwalinska take the opening set. Things started to go downhill for Swiatek from that point on, as she faced break points in the opening game of the second set. This is when the Pole was seen talking to her longtime trainer and physiotherapist, Maciej Ryszczuk, in tears, who advised Swiatek to either take some painkillers or consider retiring from the match, as playing through the injury could exacerbate it.

The match went on expected lines from thereon, as Swiatek could not offer much resistance to Chwalinska’s variety-filled game, with the latter trying her best to make the six-time Major champion move on the court as much as possible. Known to hand out 6-0 and 6-1 sets to her opponent, this time it was Swiatek’s turn to lose a set 6-1, as she was knocked out of the competition by her compatriot.

After the match, Ryszczuk also had to defend himself on social media, when fans blamed him for pushing Swiatek to finish the match despite having an injury. The Polish trainer has been one of the mainstays of Swiatek’s team and was at the helm of managing the World No. 9 through the Wuhan Open as her main coach, Francisco Roig, had taken a break.

“Please stop talking nonsense,” said Ryszczuk on X. “I told her three times to stop the match because it’s bad for her health. She made the decision herself to continue playing, and since she made that one, I support her as much as I can.”

While Swiatek did not say anything to that effect, it was widely speculated that the Pole played on through the injury as she did not want her longtime friend, Chwalinska, to get the win on a retirement. When asked by a fan on social media if that was the case, Ryszczuk had a guarded answer.

“I am unable to answer this question,” said Ryszczuk on X when a fan asked if Swiatek’s decision to continue was based on who her opponent was in the match.

Not to mention, Ryszczuk also faced some criticism for using his phone during the match, which is prohibited by the WTA to protect insider information from being leaked to potential bettors while the match is on. However, Ryszczuk adamantly defended his position, stating that he was in touch with a medical professional for Swiatek and to keep updated on the stats from the match.

“Yes I used my phone during a match: for consultation with our doctor, than I used it again to check some stats with a coach and closer to the end I used it during a break time to comment that post on X,” said Ryszczuk in response to a fan comment on X. “Unbelievable but still being able to communicate with a player and to cheer.”

As for Chwalinska, the Pole’s year gets even better, and, given her past struggles, her recent results show tremendous mental resolve in the 25-year-old.

Maja Chwalinska Reaches Her Maiden WTA 1000 Final

2026 is where Maja Chwalinska is ticking all the boxes one by one. Having already reached a Grand Slam final as a qualifier this year, the Pole has now achieved another career milestone by reaching her maiden WTA 1000 final at the Wuhan Open. However, the journey has not been a bed of roses, as Chwalinska has been quite open about her past struggles, especially during her dream run in Paris.

Back in 2021, Chwalinska was battling depression, as the pressure of the Tour and the injuries took their toll on the young Pole. She played only 21 matches in the 2021 season and even announced a mental health break from the sport. The decision paid off, as the World No. 22 gradually built up her form at the lower-tier events, winning four ITF titles and two Challenger titles from 2022 to 2025.

Now, having reached the final in Wuhan, Chwalinksa is projected to rise as high as No. 12 in the rankings. Should she win the final against Sonay Kartal in Wuhan, the Pole can reach up to 11 as well, which would help her get a high seeding at the Australian Open next year, where she has the potential to reach the Top-10 if she has a deep run in Melbourne. On the other hand, things look slightly grim for Swiatek in terms of her chances to qualify for the WTA Finals, but it seems like the six-time Major champion is taking a balanced view on the subject.

Iga Swiatek’s WTA Finals Qualification Chances Hang by a Thread

After the match, Chwalinska shared a funny dialogue she had with Swiatek at the net.

“I really fought for every single ball,” said Chwalinska in her press conference. “I think that was crucial because she had to put extra effort. I really hope she’s going to be ok soon. I hope she will qualify, actually she told me you know if I’m not gonna qualify I’m going to kill you. No, we’re good.”

While said in jest, given that there is only one spot left to book for the WTA Finals, winning the Wuhan Open was important for Swiatek to reach the year-ending competition in Indian Wells. The loss to Chwalinska, along with her injury, has complicated matters for the Pole’s qualification chances, but she did not sound under any pressure afterward.

“I’m motivated,” said Swiatek in her post-match press conference. “I feel like I’m playing good and it’s been a good week. I’m hitting the ball good so I’ll rest and I’ll go to Ningbo and see how it goes. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. I can also go on a longer vacation.”

Swiatek is in the draw for the Ningbo Open this week, and her participation will depend on the nature of her injury. As far as qualifying for the WTA Finals is concerned, the Pole needs to make deep runs in the upcoming event as well as the WTA 500 event in Tokyo next week, which should be enough for her to overtake Karolina Muchova, who is her closest competitor for the final spot.

Should Swiatek not make it to Indian Wells, it will end her five-year streak of qualifying for the year-ending event. The Pole has an excellent record at Indian Wells, which will be another motivating factor as she makes a final push, but she is unlikely to risk any long-term injuries to reach the Finals.