September 23, (THEWILL) – China’s Wang Xiyu captured her first-ever WTA Tour singles title on Saturday, with a dominant 6-0 6-2 victory over Magda Linette in the final of the Guangzhou Open. The 22-year-old Wang displayed impressive form throughout the tournament, dropping just one set en route to the title.
This was the fourth time a Chinese player has won the Guangzhou tournament, after previous champions Wang Qiang, Zhang Shuai and Li Na. An emotional Wang said after her win, “It was really a dream for me to get a title from the first day I started tennis.” She added, “There are going to be bigger tournaments and tougher matches ahead but I will continue trying my best.”
Wang is the third Chinese winner on the WTA Tour this season, following Zhu Lin and Zheng Qinwen. This is the first time since 2006 that China has had three different women’s singles champions in one year. Guangzhou hosted its first WTA tournament since 2019 after the tours were suspended due to COVID-19.
The return of elite women’s tennis to China comes after the WTA originally suspended tournaments there in 2022 amid concerns over the safety of player Peng Shuai, as THEWILL previously reported. She had accused a government official of assault before disappearing from public view. The governing body was widely praised for its stance.
However, in April, the WTA reversed its decision to suspend Chinese tournaments. Wang’s maiden title marks a significant moment as competitive women’s tennis resumes in the country.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
