Chwalińska slips on grass, twists ankle and loses Wimbledon first-round match after leading 5-2
Maja Chwalińska, the surprise French Open finalist, led 5-2 with match points in the second set before slipping on the grass and losing 6-2, 5-7, 2-6 to qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
A commanding start
Maja Chwalińska arrived at Wimbledon seeded 20th and carrying the momentum of a runner-up finish at Roland Garros, where she had surged from qualifying to the final. Her first-round opponent on Court 12 was Mananchaya Sawangkaew, a 23-year-old from Thailand ranked 164th (some sources list 161st) who had to win three qualifying matches to reach the main draw. The match began at noon Polish time.
The Polish player dominated the opening set, breaking Sawangkaew early and racing to a 5-0 lead. Sawangkaew held twice but Chwalińska closed it out 6-2 in 35 minutes. Her mix of drop shots and angled groundstrokes kept the qualifier on the defensive.
The injury that changed everything
The second set followed a similar pattern. Chwalińska broke again and moved ahead 5-2, earning two match points. Then, on a slick patch of grass, she slid awkwardly and fell, clutching her ankle. The match was halted while a physio strapped her ankle.
She returned bandaged and tried to finish the set, but movement was clearly compromised. Sawangkaew seized the window, saved the match points, held serve, and then broke back. Chwalińska held once more to force a tiebreak of sorts, but the Thai player ran off four straight games to claim the set 7-5.
A painful third set
After winning the first two games of the decider, Chwalińska's pain returned. Sawangkaew reeled off six of the next seven games, closing the match 6-2 in the third. Chwalińska played through visible discomfort, grimacing after every point, but refused to retire.
The final scoreline, 6-2, 5-7, 2-6, eliminates Chwalińska in the opening round and ends her bid to build on the Paris breakthrough.
Other Polish players in action
Four Polish athletes began Wimbledon on Monday. Magda Linette (59th) faced fifth seed Mirra Andriejewa, the French Open champion, on Court 1 around 17:30. Magdalena Fręch (44th) took on 19th seed Anna Kalinskaya on Court 15 at roughly the same time. Hubert Hurkacz (95th) met 11th seed Casper Ruud on Court 12 from 13:30. Defending champion Iga Świątek starts her title defence on Tuesday against Taylor Townsend.
The tournament prize pool is a record £64.2 million. The women's final is scheduled for 11 July, the men's for 12 July.
