Two-time Grand Slam winner ended the crazy series of bankruptcies

Her CV includes two Grand Slam titles and she was ranked 22nd in the world rankings in January 2023 – and yet on Thursday China’s tennis star Shuai Zhang ended a horror series that has only been surpassed once in the history of the sport.

At the end of January 2023, Shuai Zhang reached the round of 16 at the Australia Open, and a little later she survived the first round of the WTA tournament in Lyon – then a crazy series of bankruptcies began.

Seeded number two, Zhang lost quietly in the round of 16 in Lyon with 2:6 and 0:6 against the Belgian Maryna Zanevska. It was the first defeat in a series that would grow by 23 more to a total of 24 by September 25, 2024.

Relief came on Wednesday with Zhang’s 7:6-7:6 opening win, now ranked 595th in the world rankings, against the American McCartney Kessler (number 65 in the world rankings) in the first round of the WTA tournament in Beijing.

“I think this is the perfect time,” Zhang told WTA Insider after her first singles victory after a 603-day losing streak. And further: “My first win at a WTA tournament was 15 years ago at the China Open, and the next day I was the No. 1 player.” [Dinara Safina im Jahr 2009, Anm.d.Red.] beaten. Maybe God has a plan.

Only one player tops Zhang’s series of bankruptcies

Since the beginning of the Open Era, Zhang’s negative record has only been topped by a single player: the Swede Madeleine Pegel lost her first 29 games on the tour between 1968 and 1972.

Zhang, who slipped into the main draw with a wildcard in Beijing, will now face Emma Navarro from the USA. However, another win will be an enormous challenge against number eight in the world, who is in the semi-finals of the 2024 US Open.

By the way: Zhang, who won the Australian Open in 2019 and the US Open in 2021 in women’s doubles, continued to celebrate great successes during her historic series of defeats in doubles. Among other things, she only lost in the final of the US Open 2024.