Suffering a decisive defeat and missing out on the semifinals, Dang Yiming still achieved her best performance of the 2025 season.

It is well known that tennis seasons last a long time, so often players who have had disappointing results for much of the year suddenly explode at one event and record their best performance of the season. This week, Chinese athlete Dang Yiming had her breakthrough in the 2025 season. So, what exactly was Dang Yiming’s achievement this week? Let this article take you through it.

At the start of the 2025 season, from early January to early April, Dang Yiming failed to secure a single victory over a full four-month stretch. During this period, she suffered a five-match losing streak and even lost to opponents ranked outside the top 1200. Although her form improved later, she only reached the quarterfinals once at the São Paulo Futures in mid-July; most other tournaments saw her exit early. Because of this, her world ranking plummeted sharply, at one point falling beyond the top 1200.

Due to her very low ranking, just a few days ago Dang Yiming had to start her campaign from the qualifying rounds of the Incheon Challenger. In the first qualifying round, she faced the ninth seed, Japan’s Koike Mana. In the first set, Dang Yiming conceded a bagel; in the second, despite Koike mounting a fierce comeback, Dang still managed to clinch the match 7–5. With this win, she was just one step away from breaking through qualifying.

In the final qualifying round, facing the second seed, Japan’s Akita Shiho, Dang Yiming allowed her opponent only seven games throughout the match. After a commanding victory, she advanced into the main draw of the Incheon Challenger. In the first round, she played against Japan’s Sato Hikaru, maintaining her strong form and sweeping her opponent aside to progress smoothly. In the second round, Dang faced the tournament’s fifth seed, Japan’s Hosoki Emira. Given Hosoki’s much higher world ranking, many expected Dang Yiming to lose and be eliminated.

However, in the first set, Dang Yiming limited the seeded player to just two games. After taking the first set, Dang surprisingly took the lead and gained the upper hand in advancing. But in the second set, Hosoki fought back with consecutive points, forcing a deciding third set. At this stage, both players still held hopes of moving forward.

In the final set, both players played cautiously, holding their service games, and the score remained tight, leading to a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Dang Yiming’s skills prevailed, securing the match victory. She reached the quarterfinals of a Challenger event for the first time in the 2025 season. Notably, this was also her second time this season winning four consecutive matches starting from qualifying.

Unfortunately, in the quarterfinals against the third seed, Japan’s Saito Emira, despite giving her all, Dang Yiming suffered a comprehensive defeat and could not replicate her earlier miracle run. Nevertheless, her four-match winning streak boosted her world ranking by nearly 300 places, bringing her close to her career-best ranking. That’s the tennis story for today; we’ll continue tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)