Strange happenings, after winning the championship in 2025, the Chinese women's tennis team is bound to face defeats.

Since the beginning of the 2025 season, both Chinese male and female tennis players have experienced a drop in their results. Despite this, Chinese female players have won four titles in challenge tournaments. However, after clinching the first challenge tournament title of the 2025 season, the three Chinese female players all encountered losses in their following competitions. So, what could be the reason for this? Let this article take you through it.

For a long time, Zhang Shuai has been regarded as an inspirational figure in Chinese women's tennis. Indeed, she has overcome the embarrassment of losing in fourteen Grand Slam main draws and has reached the round of 16 in all four Grand Slam tournaments. Moreover, Zhang has ended a 24-match losing streak on the tour, achieved four consecutive wins at the China Open, and reached the quarterfinals for the third time in her career, earning her much admiration from fans.

At the end of April, in the first round of the Qifu Challenge, facing the seventh seed and fellow compatriot Gao Xinyu, Zhang Shuai delivered a stunning performance, effectively teaching her opponent a lesson and ending her two-match winning streak. Following that, she defeated Thailand's second seed Lanlana, junior world number two Japan's Sonobe Hazuki, junior world number one Australia's A. Jones, and Thailand's first seed Mananchaya, securing her first challenge tournament title of the 2025 season.

It's worth mentioning that this is Zhang Shuai's first championship win in three years. After claiming this title, she took a brief break. In mid-May, she appeared at the ATP250 Palma tournament. In the first round, despite Zhang's best efforts, she lost to her compatriot, "Chinese Sharapova" Wang Xinyu.

In the last season, Yuan Yue made significant breakthroughs in WTA250, WTA500, and WTA1000 events. She also won her first career tournament title this year. Therefore, many fans had high hopes for her. However, for a long time this year, Yuan Yue's performance has been disappointing. She even faced a five-match losing streak. In late April, she participated as the second seed in the Oelrash Challenge.

In the first round, she convincingly defeated Dutch qualifier L. Tran, ending her five-match losing streak and advancing smoothly. Perhaps due to gaining some confidence, Yuan Yue subsequently defeated Czech qualifier Malekova, the eighth seed Austrian player Klaus, the fourth seed Latvian player Semenistaja, and the top seed Belgian player Minien, winning her first challenge tournament title of the year. This also marked the first challenge tournament title won by a Chinese female player this year. After her victory, Yuan Yue headed to compete in the WTA1000 Rome tournament qualifiers. However, in the first round of the qualifiers, she suffered a defeat against Croatian player Rudevic and could not advance further.

Last week, Wang Xiyu, whose world ranking had slipped outside the top 150, participated as the fourth seed in the Lexington Challenge. In the first round, she delivered a bagel, defeating American player Kelly Yeva; in the second round, Wang Xiyu battled through three sets to narrowly defeat American player A. Akli.

In the quarterfinals, she again delivered a bagel, sweeping American wildcard player V. Hu, reaching her second challenge tournament semifinals of the year; in the semifinals, Wang Xiyu convincingly defeated the second seed, American player Lepchenko, advancing to her first challenge tournament final of the year.

In the final, despite losing the first set, she rallied to win the next two sets, overcoming the seventh seed, Indonesian player J. Tjen, to claim her first challenge tournament title of the year. Early this morning, Wang Xiyu appeared as the seventh seed in the WTA100 Lantysville Challenge. In the first round, her opponent was Belarusian player Shimanoch. In the first set, Wang Xiyu delivered a stunning performance, taking the lead to advance.

However, Shimanoch mounted a comeback, winning the second set and forcing the match into a deciding set. In the final set, due to physical issues and trailing in the score, Wang Xiyu chose to retire. Thus, this year, all three Chinese female tennis players faced defeats after winning their championships. Today's tennis story ends here, and we will continue tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)