Mananchanok Survives Scare, Upsets World No. 21 to Advance to Wimbledon 2026 Second Round
Thai tennis player Mananchanok Sawankaew pulled off a stunning upset over world No. 21 Maya Chwalinska at Wimbledon 2026, advancing to the second round after her Polish opponent suffered an injury during the match.
At Wimbledon 2026 in England on June 29, 2026, world No. 164 Mananchanok Sawankaew defeated 21st-ranked Maya Chwalinska in a thrilling upset to advance to the second round of the main draw. Two Thai female tennis players earned the right to compete in the women's singles category at the tournament. In her match against Poland's Chwalinska—a 20th seed and runner-up at the 2026 French Open—Sawankaew found herself down after losing the first set. However, in the second set, Chwalinska slipped and sustained an injury while leading. Despite attempting to continue, the injured Chwalinska was unable to match Sawankaew's level. Sawankaew completed the comeback victory 2-1 in sets (2-6, 7-5, 6-2) to secure her spot in the second round. She became the third Thai female tennis player to win in a major Grand Slam main draw round following Mariam Thansukanya and Luksika Kumkhum.
