Impressive! Veteran players from China and Russia are experiencing a resurgence!

Although the 2025 WTA Tour season has mostly concluded, many ITF tournaments have continued over the past few weeks. Veteran player Zhang Shuai recently won the singles title at the W50 Yokohama event in Japan last week. Following this win, her world ranking remains solidly inside the top 100, guaranteeing her a spot in the 2026 Australian Open main draw.

“If I were to reflect on something particularly remarkable I’ve done this past year, it would definitely be climbing my singles ranking from a low of 776 last year to the top 100. While being in the top 100 might not be a huge achievement for most professionals, at this moment it shows me that my hard work and relentless effort are starting to pay off positively.”

After winning the title, Zhang Shuai shared on her personal social media that following her victory in Yokohama, she quickly traveled to France to compete in the WTA 125k event in Angers. As the 6th seed, she defeated Bassols 7-6, 6-3 in the first round, earning 15 ranking points and 1,740 euros in prize money. Her ranking has already moved up to 85. According to the draw, her next opponent is veteran Barthel, against whom Zhang has lost all four previous encounters. Fans are hopeful she can perform well in the second round.

Although this is just a WTA 125K event, the Angers tournament has attracted many well-known players this year. The top seed is American player Parks, while Rudic is positioned in the bottom half. Other notable seeds include Kudermetova, Ruse, Bronzetti, and Jimenez. Additionally, players like Rashimova and Kopach are competing as unseeded entrants. It will be quite challenging for Zhang Shuai to continue achieving good results here.

Simultaneously with the Angers event, the Dubai W100 tournament is also underway. The most surprising appearance was that of Zvonareva, a veteran over 40 years old, who achieved two wins in one day. In the singles second round, she defeated Martincova 6-1, 6-2, and also stepped in as a substitute in doubles alongside partner Zolotareva to secure a victory and advance.

These wins have helped the Russian veteran regain some world ranking points. Currently, Zvonareva’s singles ranking stands at 977, while her doubles ranking is 1264.

When her name is mentioned, Zvonareva is surely familiar to many. Her career-high singles ranking was world No. 2, and she was a key member of the once-glorious "Pink Army."

However, Zvonareva’s last appearance in singles was back in May last year. The general attitude toward her comeback is one of respect for her passion, since breaking through on the highly competitive professional circuit at over 40 years old is extremely difficult.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)