Maja Chwalinska, the 24-year-old French Open runner-up and 20th seed at Wimbledon, lost in the first round after injuring her right ankle while holding match point against Mananchaya Sawangkaew on Monday [1, 2, 3, 4].
Chwalinska was leading 6-2, 5-2 when she slipped near the baseline and fell awkwardly, injuring her ankle [1, 2, 3, 4]. She struggled to move and faced difficulties for the remainder of the match. Chwalinska received a medical timeout on court, during which physiotherapy and ice were applied [1, 2, 3, 4].
Despite her injury, Chwalinska said, "It's Wimbledon. I don't want to retire [injured] in Wimbledon. I think I would have many regrets if I would retire, so I just wanted to continue" [2]. However, she lost the next five games, eventually losing the match 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 to the Thai qualifier [1, 2, 3, 4].
Mananchaya Sawangkaew, ranked world No. 164, secured her first Grand Slam main draw victory with the win over Chwalinska [1, 3, 4].
Chwalinska also showed signs of a lower back problem during the match, which added to her physical difficulties [2]. She had earned a wild card into Wimbledon after her breakthrough performance at the French Open [1, 3].
Monday's exit marks a disappointing end for Chwalinska at Wimbledon, but the focus now turns to her recovery and performance in upcoming tournaments [1, 2, 3, 4].
