Zhang Shuai on Defeating Wang Xinyu: The Magic of the China Open Venue

On the evening of September 26, the second-round highlight match of the 2025 China Open women's singles took place between two Chinese stars, Zhang Shuai and Wang Xinyu. After 1 hour and 24 minutes of intense play, Zhang Shuai triumphed in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, advancing to the last 32 for the second consecutive year.

Zhang Shuai

At the post-match press conference, Zhang Shuai said she always manages to deliver high-level performances on the Diamond Court and expressed hope that her compatriot Wang Xinyu would quickly regain form and perform well in Wuhan. The two had met three times before in singles, with Wang Xinyu winning all encounters.

“Because I have never beaten her in singles or doubles before, I always told her she played great. So I felt no pressure playing against Wang Xinyu, especially since I am much older than her,” Zhang Shuai said. “I always perform well on the Diamond Court. I just hope to play naturally without overthinking. The combination of this court, the ball speed, and my tactics works perfectly here. Sometimes using the same strategy at other venues or tournaments would lead to many mistakes. That’s how magical this place is.”

Zhang Shuai also highly praised the player services at the China Open: “For me, the China Open is the best tournament because everything runs so smoothly. Every event tries hard to take care of the players, but I really like everything about the China Open. I know a lot of effort is put in behind the scenes to allow us to enjoy such excellent service.”

Wang Xinyu

In a post-match interview, Wang Xinyu said she had endured a physically and mentally exhausting week at the Billie Jean King Cup. Zhang Shuai expressed deep understanding: “Last week in Shenzhen, Wang Xinyu’s match against Paolini was very intense. Her physical condition was definitely not at its best, and I also saw some injuries on her legs. I hope Wang Xinyu can recover quickly. As we said after the Shenzhen match, every loss brings you closer to success. She has already achieved things at such a young age that none of us have before. I hope she can quickly move past this defeat, take care of her body, and compete in Wuhan in the best shape possible.”

Looking ahead to the next round, Zhang Shuai will face the tournament's third seed, Anisimova. She said: “Anisimova debuted as a prodigy, and I was impressed right away by such a talented young girl playing so well at such a young age. Seeing her go through many ups and downs both in life and tennis and then come back to compete again truly makes me happy. I believe the tennis world especially needs players like her who can play so beautifully. The WTA needs players like her.”

At 36 years old this year, Zhang Shuai’s mindset has become more open and relaxed. She admits she increasingly feels the joy of tennis and has more motivation to keep going.

“I have been playing tennis for 31 years since I was five, and all my dreams have come true. If I couldn’t enjoy tennis today, I would feel very sad. I want to enjoy the sport. I really enjoyed today’s match and finally found happiness in tennis, so I truly have great reasons and motivation to continue.”

(Photo: Provided by the tournament)