Jasmine Paolini’s bid to climb the WTA rankings suffered a dramatic setback at the Wuhan tournament, where she was decisively defeated by Sonay Kartal 6:2, 6:0 in just 63 minutes. The loss eliminates Paolini from contention to overtake Maja Chwalińska in the rankings this week.
The Italian player, seeded 15th, was heavily favored against Kartal, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency. According to the report, Kartal had not competed from March to September while recovering from injury and had dropped to 170th in the rankings. Despite this, Kartal delivered a dominant performance, with particularly strong serving statistics and flawless execution in the second set, during which Paolini failed to win a single game.
Paolini’s poor performance is notable given her competitive history with top players. Last October, she defeated Iga Świątek 6:1, 6:2 in just 65 minutes—a similar timeframe to the Kartal loss—and previously reached Grand Slam finals at Paris and Wimbledon. However, this season has been challenging for Paolini, who compiled a 21-17 record and posted her best result with a Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance. Before the Wuhan tournament, she had already fallen to 33rd in the rankings.
The loss means Paolini will drop further in the rankings after losing points from last year’s Ningbo semifinal appearance. According to the report, she had hoped the Wuhan title—a tournament where she has historically performed well—would provide a breakthrough and significant ranking boost.
Meanwhile, Chwalińska’s position remains secure. The report indicates that after Wuhan, only three players can still overtake her in the rankings: Maria Sakkari (whom Chwalińska will face in quarterfinals), Ann Li (who needs a finals appearance), and Jelena Ostapenko (who must win the tournament). Paolini’s elimination removes her from that list.
Key facts
- Paolini lost to Sonay Kartal 6:2, 6:0 in 63 minutes at Wuhan
- Paolini is seeded 15th and was heavily favored in the matchup
- Kartal had been sidelined from March to September with injury and dropped to 170th ranking
- Paolini’s 2024 season record stands at 21 wins and 17 losses
- Before Wuhan, Paolini had fallen to 33rd in rankings and faced potential drop to 35th after point deductions
- Only Maria Sakkari, Ann Li, and Jelena Ostapenko can now overtake Chwalińska at this tournament