Whether by chance or coincidence, those who reach the finals in Hangzhou achieve new breakthroughs in their careers.

When mentioning Hangzhou, it is well-known to many. In fact, among popular scenic spots in China, West Lake is one of the rare places that offers free admission. West Lake lies within the city of Hangzhou. Starting from last season, the tour began hosting events in Hangzhou. Since the tournament is held on Chinese soil and with Bu Yunchaokete and Wu Yibing both raised in Hangzhou, it has naturally drawn numerous domestic and international competitors.

Unnoticed, the Hangzhou Open concluded yesterday. However, whether by chance or coincidence, for two consecutive years—from last season to this season—players who reach the Hangzhou Open final have all achieved new career milestones. So, what exactly is behind this? Today, let this article take you on a closer look.

Although he won the US Open in 2014 and reached all four Grand Slam semifinals in 2022, from 2023 onwards, Croatian player Cilic has missed many tournaments due to physical issues for over a year. This situation caused his world ranking to plummet rapidly, even falling outside the top 1000 for a time. When he arrived at the Hangzhou Open in mid-September 2024, few expected him to advance far.

However, in the first round, despite losing the first set, Cilic came back to win two consecutive sets against American player Schweida, advancing with difficulty. Afterwards, he consecutively defeated the 8th seed, Japanese player Nishioka Yoshihito, Japanese qualifier Uchiyama Yasutaka, the 4th seed American player Brandon Nakashima, and the 6th seed Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen, ultimately winning his first tour title in three years. Notably, when Cilic won the championship, his world ranking was still beyond the top 770, making him the lowest-ranked player ever to win a tour title since the tour’s inception.

Having reached the last 32 in Grand Slams three times and the quarterfinals in Masters twice, Chinese male tennis player Zhang Zhizhen has made a series of new breakthroughs within just two seasons starting in 2023. Last season, at the Hangzhou Open, he first battled through three sets to defeat Kazakhstan qualifier Yevseyev and advance; then he beat Italian player Berrettini, Spanish player Carballes, and compatriot Bu Yunchaokete to reach his first tour final. Unfortunately, he lost the final in two tiebreaks to former US Open champion Cilic, finishing runner-up. Nonetheless, Zhang Zhizhen still achieved a new career milestone.

This season, although he secured his first career wins at both Grand Slams and Masters, French player Rouyer’s tour performance was disappointing before last week. However, everything seemed to change after arriving at the Hangzhou Open. First, he defeated Chinese player Chen Yuren and American Spizziri in qualifying to enter the main draw; then Rouyer consecutively beat American Kovacevic, top seed Russian Rublev, 7th seed American Liner-Chen, and 4th seed compatriot Moutet, reaching his first tour final. In the final against Asia’s top player, Kazakhstan’s Bublik, Rouyer fought fiercely until the end. Coincidentally, the final score was again two tiebreaks. Despite the loss, Rouyer’s performance was commendable.

The 2025 season is a breakthrough year for Kazakhstan player Bublik. This year, he reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open; before coming to the Hangzhou Open, he had already won three tour titles, steadily improving his world ranking.

At the Hangzhou Open, seeded third, Bublik had a first-round bye; in the second round, despite losing the first set, he rallied to beat Australian player Vukic and advance with difficulty; in the quarterfinals, Bublik dominated lucky loser Czech player Svrčina; in the semifinals, he defeated Chinese player Wu Yibing to reach his fourth tour final of the 2025 season; in the final, Bublik won the championship by taking two tiebreak sets against French player Rouyer.

In the 2025 season, he maintains the remarkable streak of winning every tour final he reaches. After winning this title, Bublik’s world ranking rose to 16, the highest he has achieved since turning professional. That concludes today’s tennis story; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)