Zhang Shuai has gone from experiencing one of the longest losing streaks in the Open Era to beating a top 10 player within two days at the China Open.
Zhang came into Beijing as a massive outsider after losing 24 singles matches in a row that has seen her drop down the rankings to 595th in the world. The wildcard finally ended her 603-day winless run on Wednesday by beating America’s McCartney Kessler in two tiebreaks to claim her first tour-level victory since January 2023.
The 35-year-old returned to action on Friday where she produced a huge upset in the draw by beating sixth seed Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-2. Navarro was playing her first match since losing in the final of the US Open to Aryna Sabalenka. It is the first time Shuai has beaten a top 10 player since Tokyo 2022 when she beat Caroline Garcia.
“I played a lot of great players: [Karolina] Pliskova, [Diana] Snaider, [Veronika] Kudermetova, [Daria] Kasatkina,” Zhang said of her losing run during an interview with WTA Insider earlier this week.
“It was like before when I lost the first round at the Grand Slams all the time.
“So I thought I have to challenge myself, but I am not young anymore. So I don’t have so many chances. I don’t have that many tournaments. I need a little bit better draw. I need at least one more win in my life.”
Zhang is the lowest-ranked player in history to play in the main draw at the China Open. She is a former top 25 player who has won a trio of WTA titles and is a two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist. She is also an accomplished doubles player, winning the 2019 Australian Open and 2021 US Open alongside Sam Stosur. In more recent months, she has been troubled by injury issues.
In the third round, Zhang will play Greet Minnen. If she wins, it will be the first time the Chinese player has won three consecutive matches since the 2023 Australian Open.
