With prize money exceeding 80 million, the hardworking Zhang Shuai truly shows her dedication!

This week's tour's main focus is the 2026 season opener, the WTA1000 event in Doha. Despite the withdrawals of well-known players such as Sabalenka, Pegula, Osaka, Keys, Jovic, and Kostyuk, the field this year is still impressive, with the top eight seeds being Swiatek, Rybakina, Anisimova, Gauff, Andreescu, Paolini, Svitolina, and Aleksandrova.

The most anticipated aspect of the draw is the return of Chinese star Zheng Qinwen. Although there were rumors last week that she would make her comeback in Abu Dhabi, she did not appear in the draw there. This time, she officially entered the Doha draw, facing former US Open singles champion Kenin in the first round.

“It feels absolutely amazing to be back on the court. I have missed the tour and the competition here so much. I really long for that feeling of giving my all in every match,” Zheng Qinwen expressed her excitement about returning. “It’s been a long time since I last played, and I never imagined this injury and surgery would keep me away for so long — much longer than I expected. But now I’m back and in better shape. I just hope to perform well and give my best on the court.”

Of course, today our focus is on another Chinese star — veteran Zhang Shuai. After exiting the Abu Dhabi doubles last week, she quickly traveled to Doha to compete in the singles qualifying rounds. However, perhaps due to the strain of continuous matches and travel, she was defeated in the first qualifying round by Zvonareva.

Nevertheless, Zhang Shuai still has matches in this event. She teams up with Mertens to continue competing in Doha’s doubles, entering as the tournament’s second seeds and receiving a first-round bye. The top seeds are Paolini and Errani, who also have a first-round bye and will face Jiang Xinyu and Eikeri in the second round.

Zhang Shuai has long maintained a rigorous schedule, competing simultaneously in singles and doubles, and often entering mixed doubles at Grand Slams — essentially competing on three fronts. For a player born in the 1980s, this poses significant challenges in terms of stamina and physical condition. Yet Zhang has persevered and achieved impressive results; this year at the Australian Open, she partnered with Mertens to win her third Grand Slam women’s doubles title.

Zhang Shuai’s hardworking participation is also reflected in her prize money earnings. After the Australian Open this year, her career prize money surpassed 12 million USD, approximately 83 million RMB. Although tennis prize money is subject to relatively high taxes, this still represents a substantial income for Zhang. We hope she continues to compete for several more seasons!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)