In an outstanding display of skill and determination, Aryna Sabalenka turned out to be a thumping winner of the Wuhan Open for the third time in succession, as she edged out China's Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in a nail-biting final yesterday evening. With this success, the 26-year-old Belarusian not only won her fourth singles title but also went down in history as the first player to win one of the world's most prestigious tournaments three times. A charged atmosphere prevailed as thousands packed the stadium to see a high-stakes rematch of this year's Australian Open final, which she too won.
Sabalenka's progression in the competition this season has been quite miraculous. She dominated the opening set against Zheng, racing through it in just 38 minutes. World No. 2 showed her aggressive baselining and served power to pin her rival, but in the second set, Zheng was a different story, never letting her opponent breathe, taking the match into a decider that had the crowd glued to their seats. "This place feels like home," Sabalenka said after her victory, lauding her deep connection with the Wuhan crowd. The momentum shifts again in the third set as Sabalenka takes an early 3-0 lead. Zheng, though, broke right back and narrowed the difference to 5-2. Her nerve held up at the end as she closed out a very tight final stretch of the match.
As she served for the championship, she faced some challenges that left Zheng momentarily back in the set, only to end the match on the third championship point. It made her one of the most elite tennis players to win 17 titles throughout her career. The match highlighted Sabalenka's prowess but marked the second significant moment for Zheng: she became the first Chinese player in history to reach a WTA 1000 final. Following her loss, Zheng summed up, "Next time I will be better." It reflects quite profoundly feelings of perseverance and constant growth that characterize the journey of a professional tennis player in many young athletes.
This victory extended her winning momentum to an impressive 17 successive Wuhan matches, overhauling Petra Kvitova's previous record. She has been on fire in 2024 so far, adding the Wuhan title to ones that she already had obtained at both the Australian Open and the US Open, and was featured in seven successive singles finals. Her performance this season has been a test of her skill and also her mental toughness, particularly in the long schedules to which she is subjected as one of the top players in the world.
As Aryna Sabalenka basks in the delight of her third Wuhan Open title, a stellar testament to dominance and resilience in women's tennis, she will be an excellent example of brilliance, with fans left slobbering to watch more such brilliant performances against her in the ongoing competitions. The last match that Sabalenka played, dominating her opponent and emerging victorious, is a beautiful reminder to budding tennis stars that such records cannot be achieved without fantastic dedication and passion to leap the elite levels of the sport.
