Maja Chwalińska withdraws from WTA 500 Tokyo with thigh injury, coach cites elbow

Withdrawal from Tokyo

Maja Chwalińska will not play the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo. Organisers announced on Monday, 26 October, that the 25-year-old Pole, ranked 11th in the world, had withdrawn because of an injury to her left thigh. She was seeded second and was due to open against Alycia Parks in the second round. Earlier in October she won her first WTA 1000 title in Wuhan, beating Sonay Kartal 2:6, 6:4, 6:2 in a final that lasted two hours and 46 minutes. She then withdrew from the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, a decision she explained by severe fatigue and the need to recover.

Chwalińska wrote on Instagram that she was very disappointed. She had arrived in Tokyo early to undergo physiotherapy and train on court, but she was still not ready to compete.

“I am very disappointed that I have to withdraw from the tournament because of the injury to my left thigh, which I sustained in Wuhan.”

A different explanation from her coach

Her coach, Jaroslav Machovsky, gave Interia Sport a different account. He said the real problem is her left elbow, which had been very sore since Wuhan, and that switching between balls and court surfaces had made it harder for her to manage. The staff had hoped the joint would settle, but they decided it was wiser to skip the last WTA event than to overload it. He stressed that the problem was not serious, although it had lingered for a long time.

“We thought it would get better, but it is wiser to skip the last WTA tournament than to overload the elbow.”

Reporting on the official reason has not been consistent. Most reports, including the WTA entry list, cited the thigh, while one Interia report gave a calf injury instead, a version Machovsky also rejected.

Effects on the Tokyo draw

Kimberly Birrell of Australia takes Chwalińska's place in the draw. Interia noted that all eight WTA Finals places had already been decided before the Tokyo event started, with Karolina Muchova the last to qualify. Iga Świątek and Marta Kostiuk also withdrew from Tokyo, and Świątek had already ended her season after Wuhan. Chwalińska's ranking stayed at 11th in Monday's update, the highest of her career.

Next commitments

Machovsky said nothing had changed regarding her readiness for two planned appearances. Poland meets Sweden on 20 and 21 November in Włocławek, in a tie that decides advancement to next year's Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, and Chwalińska is due to lead the squad. On 11 December she is scheduled to close her season with an exhibition against Linda Noskova at the Ergo Arena during the Lotto Tenis Show. The coach said the elbow would be monitored, but the schedule was set and she was heading on holiday.