Poland's Chwalinska receives Wimbledon wildcard
Maja Chwalinska has been awarded a wildcard for this year's Wimbledon Championships, securing a place in the main draw of the Grand Slam tennis tournament, organisers announced on Tuesday.
The wildcard comes after a remarkable run at the French Open, where the 24-year-old advanced through qualifying and reached the final before falling to Russia's Mirra Andreeva. Her breakthrough performance on the clay courts of Paris propelled her from No. 114 to No. 21 in the WTA rankings.
Despite the dramatic rise, Chwalinska's new ranking did not automatically guarantee a place in Wimbledon's main draw because entry lists had closed before the French Open began. As a result, she had initially been expected to compete in the qualifying tournament.
Following her success in Paris, however, calls grew for Wimbledon to grant the Polish player a wildcard. The Polish Tennis Association was among those that formally appealed to the organisers.
Chwalinska will now join three other Polish women in the Wimbledon main draw: Magdalena Frech, Magda Linette and defending champion Iga Swiatek, who captured the title last year.
The men's singles draw will feature Hubert Hurkacz and Kamil Majchrzak. Majchrzak enjoyed the biggest success of his career on Sunday, winning the ATP tournament in 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands.
Championships 2026 will be played over 14 days from June 29 to July 12. (PAP)
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