Aryna Sabalenka has made history by becoming the first player to win the Wuhan Open three times. Her victory over Zheng Qinwen in the final on Sunday marked a thrilling rematch of this year’s Australian Open final, where she also emerged victorious. The 26-year-old Belarusian clinched her fourth women’s singles title of the year with a hard-fought win, securing the match 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Sabalenka’s dominance in Wuhan is undeniable, as she remains undefeated in the tournament. “That sounds crazy,” she said in an interview. “This place definitely feels like home. I am pretty sure we are going to play many more finals against one another.”
The match was a nail-biter, with Zheng mounting a strong comeback in the second set. However, Sabalenka took the opening set in just 38 minutes and managed to hold off Zheng’s charge, ultimately securing her third Wuhan Open title.
Zheng Qinwen, the reigning Olympic gold medallist and first Chinese player to reach a WTA 1000 final, has now lost all four of her meetings against Sabalenka. “Next time I will be better,” she said.
Sabalenka’s win adds to an impressive year where she has won both the Australian Open and US Open and appeared in seven singles finals. Her unbeaten streak in Wuhan breaks Petra Kvitova’s record for the most consecutive matches won at the tournament.
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