Maja Chwalinska goes from French Open fairy tale to Wimbledon misery

Maja Chwalinska’s impressive Grand Slam momentum came to a painful halt on the opening day of Wimbledon 2026 when the Polish star let a winning position slip away to lose 6-2, 5-7, 2-6 to Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the first round of the women’s singles on Monday (June 29).

After enjoying a breakthrough campaign at the French OpenChwalinska looked destined to carry that form onto the grass courts of the All England Club. Instead, an early injury changed the face of the contest and allowed Sawangkaew to complete a stunning comeback and record the biggest win of his career.

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Chwalinska was in complete control after cruising through the opening set and cruising to victory in the second. She even held a match point before her fortunes took a dramatic turn.

INJURY STOPS CHWALINSKY’S SUBMISSION

While serving for the match, the Pole slipped and landed awkwardly during a layup, forcing a medical timeout. Although she continued to play, her movement was visibly limited, making it difficult for her to defend the court or chase shots with the same intensity.

Sensing a shift, Sawangkaew began extending the rally, forcing Chwalinska into uncomfortable positions. The Thai qualifier grew in confidence as her opponent struggled physically, overturning a deficit to force a deciding set before taking control in the third to seal a memorable victory.

A MILESTONE FOR SAWANGKAEW, A HEARTBREAK FOR CHWALINSKA

The win marked a turning point for Sawangkaew, who claimed her first ever Grand Slam main draw victory after fighting back from a set down, 2-5 down in the second set to save a match point. She also secured her first win over a top-30 opponent, underscoring her composure in the biggest match of her career.

For Chwalinska, the defeat was particularly harsh given the form she has shown over the past month. After emerging as one of the surprise performers at Roland Garros, she looked set for another deep run before injury derailed her campaign.

The emotional toll was evident as Chwalinska buried her face in the towel during the exchange as the momentum faded. What started as another potential Grand Slam success story ended in frustration instead, with the Pole rueing both a missed opportunity and an unfortunate injury that cost her a place in the second round.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

29 Jun 2026 19:13 IST