Zhizhen Zhang's debut time at the China Open has been basically confirmed, where he will play against the winner of Wang Yafan and Rameez.

From the China Open draw, we know that Zhang, as the 7th seed, has a first-round bye. His second-round opponent will be the winner between Wang Yafan and Rameez. Who do you think it will be? I think it will be Wang Yafan.

According to the live broadcast schedule announced by CCTV-5, Zhang’s debut and second-round match at the China Open is on September 27, 2025. The match will most likely take place on the Diamond Court, with a tentative start time guessed to be 7 PM based on last year’s debut timing. We await the official schedule from the China Open organizers.

Pre-match analysis and predictions

1. The China Open is Zhang’s first tournament back after injury recovery. He participated in the opening ceremony last night and said he has mostly recovered.
2. Facing either Wang Yafan or Rameez, he should be able to win. After all, he mentioned his recovery is going well, although he hasn’t reached peak form yet. However, beating them doesn’t require peak condition.
3. We hope Zhang stays healthy. After the China Open, he will also compete in the Wuhan Open, Ningbo Open, and Tokyo tournament. These are crucial ranking events for him this year. If his form is poor, his ranking might drop out of the top 10 or even the top 20.