Match point to rolled ankle and defeat as Maja Chwalinska goes from French Open final to emotional Wimbledon exit
WTAMonday, 29 June 2026 at 16:31
Maja Chwalinska is a bit of an unknown entity on grass and due to her lowly ranking prior to her French Open breakout, she had to receive a wildcard even to get into Wimbledon.
But while the Pole looked superb at times against Mananchaya Sawangkaew, it also proved to be a disaster as she went match point up after cruising throughout before a sudden ankle roll changed the course of the match.
It saw the 20th seed look easily on course for victory to being slumped out at the opening hurdle in three sets. Having enjoyed a breakthrough French Open campaign, some marvelled that due to her lack of a real injury record she would not endure the same teething problems that Lois Boisson for instance has since she reached the semi-finals of the same tournament last year.
From near victory to ankle roll
But ironically it was a potential injury that derailed her. She was in complete control after cruising through the opening set and moving within a game of victory in the second. She even held a match point before her fortunes took a dramatic turn.
While serving for the match, the Pole slipped and landed awkwardly during a rally. This forced a medical timeout and although she resumed play, her movement was visibly hampered making it difficult for her to defend the court or even run properly.
Sensing this, Sawangkaew began extending rallies and forcing Chwalinska to work to serve it out and the Thai grew in confidence as Chwalinska continued to wince in pain.
For Chwalinska, it shows the incredibly harsh margins in sport and how quickly you can go from hero to zero as she heads towards the US swing unless her injury is serious with a short and sharp stint on grass that could've delivered so much more.
One slip can change everything. She was one point away from winning… https://t.co/KPyHvVGF35 pic.twitter.com/riHxPy13cD
— marv (@mvn_dn) June 29, 2026
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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