Former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek advanced to her first career semifinal at the Dongfeng • Voyah Wuhan Open on Friday, defeating American player Ann Li 6-4, 6-1 in 1 hour and 33 minutes. The victory also crowned a unique milestone for the six-time Grand Slam champion, making her the fourth player since 2009—and the only active competitor—to reach the semifinals at all 10 current WTA 1000 events.
Swiatek’s straight-sets victory keeps her firmly in the hunt for one of the last two remaining qualification spots in the eight-player field for next month’s WTA Finals. Beyond her personal milestone, Friday’s result locked in a historic fixture for the sport: the first all-Polish semifinal at a WTA-level event in the Open Era. Swiatek will face childhood friend and compatriot Maja Chwalinska for a place in the final.
A Hard-Fought Opening Set and Decisive Finish
Ann Li, who entered the quarterfinal match following a banner week that included a second-round upset of world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka and her 100th career tour-level win, pushed Swiatek hard in the opening frame. According to RTL Luxembourg, Swiatek struggled with unforced errors early on, committing 21 miscues and facing three break points during a tight first set. However, the Polish star protected her early break advantage to close out the set in 56 minutes.
Having weathered the initial pressure, Swiatek seized firm control in the second set. She established an early lead and never relented, sealing her fourth WTA 1000 semifinal appearance of the 2026 season. Li’s impressive tournament run concluded in the quarterfinals, but her performances in Wuhan underscored her resurgence on the professional tour.
Childhood Friends Meet on the WTA Tour Stage
The upcoming semifinal meeting between Swiatek and Chwalinska marks their first encounter at the WTA Tour level, though the two players share a long history. They previously squared off as 15-year-olds at an ITF event in Stockholm in 2016, where Swiatek won in straight sets, before teaming up to finish as runners-up in girls’ doubles at the 2017 Australian Open.
Chwalinska punched her ticket to the semifinals earlier on Friday by overcoming Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-0, 3-6, 7-5, a grueling victory that also earned the 25-year-old left-hander her career-first Top 20 ranking debut. Speaking about the historic matchup, Sportstar reported Swiatek’s reflections on the milestone for national tennis: “It’s great that we have two Polish players in the semifinals. I think it means a lot to Polish tennis, so hopefully it’s going to be a nice match. I’m really happy for Maja. She for sure improved her game this year.”
Broader Wuhan Draw and Next Steps
In the opposite half of the Wuhan draw, British player Sonay Kartal continued her remarkable comeback journey. Kartal defeated Ukrainian world No. 6 Elina Svitolina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to secure the second top-10 win of her career and guarantee her return to the top 100. Having missed six months earlier in the season due to a spinal stress fracture, Kartal became the lowest-ranked semifinalist in Wuhan Open history.
Kartal will face 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the semifinals after Ostapenko eliminated 11th-seeded Diana Shnaider 7-6 (8/6), 6-1. The winners of Saturday’s semifinal fixtures will advance to the championship match of the WTA 1000 tournament.