WTA Austin: Wang Xinyu struggles and exits in the first round

On February 23, 2026, during the opening day of the WTA250 Austin main draw, Chinese athlete Wang Xinyu lost 3-6, 2-6 to qualifier Masarova, missing out on a spot in the last 16.

Wang Xinyu

Two weeks earlier, they faced off at the WTA250 Cluj-Napoca tournament, where Wang Xinyu secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Masarova. This match was their second meeting.

The match was scheduled as the final one on the central court, starting around 9 PM local time. Austin, located in south-central Texas, experiences significant temperature drops between day and night, and many spectators wore down jackets. Possibly due to the cold, Wang appeared sluggish, struggling to hold serve early in the first set and often playing catch-up, eventually getting broken in the fourth game. Although she broke back shortly after, she couldn’t maintain the lead and ultimately lost the set 3-6.

Wang Xinyu Photo: Huang Shangyue

In the second set, Wang still couldn’t regain her serving rhythm and was outperformed in other aspects as well, losing 2-6 and exiting in the first round. She missed out on her first win of the Year of the Horse. Meanwhile, Masarova avenged her defeat from Cluj-Napoca. Wang will also compete in doubles alongside Zheng Saisai in this tournament.

Before this match, Wang Xinyu had just reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 30. However, inconsistency remains a challenge she must overcome. Her next planned event is Indian Wells, and we look forward to seeing Wang adjust and perform better on court.

(Text and editing by: Sunny)