“We have a plan” - Iga Swiatek and Maja Chwalinska’s remarkable prediction as teenagers ahead of Wuhan semi-final showdown

Iga Swiatek and Maja Chwalinska have both come a long way together. They have taken altering pathways to the top of the sport but now finally have both cemented themselves among the best in the world and are set to compete in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open.

The pair have known each other for years but only clashed once all the way back in 2016 in an ITF event in Stockholm. Swiatek won that match 6-2, 6-3, but a decade later would finally lock horns at the top of the sport. Both players have dazzled on court in the final WTA 1000 event of the year and will battle it out for the chance to compete for silverware.

This is usual territory for Swiatek. Since bursting on the scene at Roland Garros in 2020, she has taken the WTA tour by storm. Winning six Grand Slam titles, four in Paris, she has been World No.1 for 125 weeks. It has only been these last couple of years where her form has dipped. With the WTA Finals involvement possibly under threat, this run in Wuhan is paramount to making a return.

She has been upstaged on the Grand Slam scene in 2026, surprisingly by Chwalinska. After qualifying for Roland Garros, she stunned the world by making the final. Her unorthodox style of play made it very tricky for players to tackle her, and it has resulted in much success after years of setbacks.

Semi-finals in Singapore and now Wuhan have proved that it was no fluke, and she is set to debut in the top 20 next week. That was the target for both Poles when they were only 15-years-old. In a resurfaced interview, the pair would discuss their future aspirations.

When asked who would be World No.1 and two, Swiatek answered: "We will change." Chwalinska added to that. "We have a plan. I will win the Australian Open, she French Open, me Wimbledon and she US Open."

Part of that prediction has come true. Swiatek has won the French Open four times and the US Open in 2022. She is also a Wimbledon champion. However, Chwalinska has only managed to feature in Melbourne once and Wimbledon twice, earning just one win between them. Now among the elite, she will be competing in all the top tournaments in the world alongside Swiatek for the foreseeable future.

It is set to be their first ever meeting in a main-level tournament. Chwalinska was the first to advance in the semi-finals, but made it clear what matchup would be more special to her as Swiatek prepared to face Ann Li.

"I feel like I know her forever," Chwalinska said. "Because basically we started playing tournaments together. It would be amazing, really. I think it would be great for us and great for Polish tennis as well. It would be a great honour for me also, because she's such a great champion. She's done almost everything in our sport, so it would be a great privilege to play."

Much is riding on this match, but it will be a hugely special occasion for Poland, who get to enjoy both their top players battling it out on the big stage.