Four consecutive wins dispel the shadow of defeat! Guo Hanyu secures two Grand Slam qualifying spots in a row

As everyone knows, the Grand Slam tournaments represent the highest level in tennis. Because of this, even gaining entry into the Grand Slam qualifiers is no easy feat. For example, Chinese players Wei Sijia and Gao Xinyu both lost in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open qualifiers, and since then they have remained on the sidelines, with no clear indication of when they will return to the tennis courts.

However, one player, despite also losing in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open qualifiers, proved last week through her actions that she has moved past the disappointment. Moreover, she achieved a new breakthrough with solid performances. So, who is this player? And what breakthrough did she accomplish? Let this article take you through the story.

This player is Guo Hanyu, who has mostly focused on doubles throughout her career. As early as 2019, Guo Hanyu teamed up with compatriot Ye Qiuyu to win the women's doubles championship at the University Games. However, her singles ability should not be underestimated; in 2023, she captured the women's singles title at the same event.

In the 2025 season, unwilling to only succeed in doubles, she won titles at the ITF W50 Shenzhen Challenge in mid-March and the ITF W50 Guiyang Challenge in early September. Additionally, Guo Hanyu swept past Kazakhstan’s Putintseva, a former Grand Slam quarterfinalist, in the first round of the WTA1000 Montreal tournament. Thanks to these strong performances, she earned a spot in the 2026 Australian Open qualifiers.

In this year’s Australian Open qualifiers, Guo Hanyu was defeated in the first round by Czech player Sarka. Last week, at the WTA 125 Midland Challenge, she faced the seventh seed, American player Zhiliko, in the opening round. After dropping the first set 3–6, Guo made timely adjustments and came back to win the next two sets 6–4, 6–2, securing her first victory of the 2026 season.

In the second round, she faced Serbian player K. Jokic. After winning the first set 6–1, her opponent retired while trailing in the second set, giving Guo her first winning streak of the 2026 season. In the quarterfinals, she battled against the third seed, American player Kellyeva, winning in three sets and advancing to the semifinals.

In the semifinals, despite facing match point against the eighth seed, American player Stoyana, in the deciding set, Guo turned the match around by scoring consecutive points and ultimately defeated her opponent, reaching her first WTA 125 final in her career.

It is worth mentioning that this match lasted over three hours, causing Stoyana to withdraw from the subsequent doubles final. This resulted in Guo’s compatriot, Tang Qianhui, winning the doubles title by default, marking her first doubles championship of the 2026 season.

Unfortunately, Guo Hanyu was unable to maintain her winning streak in the final and was defeated by the fifth seed, Russian player Charaeva, finishing as the runner-up. Nevertheless, she still achieved a new milestone in her career.

Following this four-match winning streak, Guo Hanyu’s world ranking rose to 156, earning her qualification for the French Open and Wimbledon Grand Slam qualifiers. We hope Guo will continue to surprise us in the days ahead. That’s today’s tennis story; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)