World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka made her eagerly awaited return to the WTA Tour at the Dongfeng Yihua Wuhan Open, after a well-deserved break following her triumph at the US Open. In her opening match on Wednesday, Sabalenka faced a challenging contest against unseeded Rebecca Sramkova, eventually prevailing with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Despite not having competed since her Flushing Meadows victory, Sabalenka displayed resilience and skill to overcome an initial setback. The defending champion, who boasts a stellar record of 18-0 in Wuhan, broke Sramkova in the opening game of the final set, propelling her towards victory in just under two hours. “I knew that after that little break, it wouldn’t be easy to get back into my rhythm,” Sabalenka reflected post-match. “I’m really glad that in the second set, I found my game.”
Sramkova, positioned 68th in the rankings, began the first set aggressively with powerful shots, tallying 15 winners, including five aces. Sabalenka struggled initially, registering only three winners in that frame. However, the tide began to turn in the second set, where Sabalenka capitalized on key moments, ultimately demonstrating her ability to dominate the latter parts of the match by firing 24 winners in total across the second and third sets.
Looking ahead, Sabalenka’s next challenge will come against No. 16 seed Liudmila Samsonova, who pulled off an impressive comeback against Sofia Kenin, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Meanwhile, American star Jessica Pegula, seeded sixth, had a gritty encounter against compatriot Hailey Baptiste, which extended to nearly three hours. After saving match points, Pegula edged through 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(6). “I’m really proud of myself for how I held it together,” Pegula noted about her performance. She will look to continue her progress against No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who defeated Ann Li in straight sets.
Coco Gauff, the tournament’s third seed, cruised past qualifier Moyuka Uchijima with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 performance, taking just 51 minutes to secure her spot in the next round. Gauff’s service was particularly effective, with 85% of her first serves successfully landing in court, and she will face Zhang Shuai next, who competed fiercely in her match against Sorana Cirstea.
In a surprising twist, unseeded Linda Noskova ousted 11th-seeded Naomi Osaka, showcasing her strong form after her recent performance at the China Open. Noskova’s next test will be against eighth-seeded Elena Rybakina, who advanced smoothly in her match.
As the tournament progresses, a tight race for qualification into the WTA Finals in Riyadh intensifies. Jasmine Paolini remains a contender after defeating Yuan Yue, while several players continue to vie for the coveted spots, including Rybakina and Paolini, who hold significant positions in the standings.
As the 2025 Wuhan Open unfolds, tennis fans are in for more thrilling matchups as top seeds battle for supremacy on the hard courts.
