"Came out of nowhere": Martina Navratilova tips her hat to biggest surprise of 2026

Monday, 26 October 2026 at 02:30

Martina Navratilova has named Maja Chwalinska as her biggest welcome surprise of the year, with the French Open finalist showing as of late too that she was not a flash in the pan by any means winning the Wuhan Open.

Navratilova was asked by Tennis Channel to give her thoughts on the biggest highlights of the season, and Chwalinska was unequivocally clear in terms of the thoughts of Navratilova.

“For me, Maja Chwalinska is getting to the finals of the French Open," said Navratilova when asked by Tennis Channel.

“Came out of nowhere; now she’s going to finish top 20 in the world. And she plays kind of old-style tennis. For me, that’s the biggest surprise. Maja Chwalinska, the tip of the hat.”

Maja Chwalinska -Pologne at Roland Garros

Chwalinska the story of the season.

Perhaps surprising to many given not only her sudden rise to prominence but also the other big displays of the season, Chwalinska will no doubt be the breakout star of the WTA this season, akin to Amanda Anisimova last year, but even more out of nowhere given that, unlike Anisimova, she didn't have form for being a big name before this year.

Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova became Grand Slam champions for the first time, and Karolina Muchova and also Chwalinska reached the finals. Chwalinska's run to the final as a qualifier was heavily praised, though, by Navratilova as her favourite moment of the 2026 season.

Her run to the Roland Garros final looked to be a fluke. She suffered opening-round defeats at Wimbledon, the Canadian Open and the US Open before the Asian swing, albeit she has been injured post Paris.

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Her fortunes soon changed, though, in the aftermath, as she proved she wasn't a flash in the pan, reaching the semi-finals of the Singapore Open before her incredible win at the Wuhan Open. She defeated Iga Swiatek, Maria Sakkari, Iva Jovic and Marie Bouzkova before toppling Sonay Kartal in the final.

She is the only player, as a result, alongside Sabalenka, to win a Masters title and also reach a Grand Slam final. For a player who started the French Open as World No.114, it has been one of the stories of the past few years on the WTA Tour. One that is already fraught with full of surprise stories, she is on the verge of top 10 and is rightfully the story of the WTA season. She plays again this week in Tokyo.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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