From 24 straight losses to two straight wins at China Open

BEIJING — When Zhang Shuai returned to the China Open locker room after her drought-ending first-round win, she was greeted by hugs and cheers from her fellow competitors. Now ranked No.595, the 35-year-old snapped a 24-match singles losing streak by beating McCartney Kessler, and the weight of the moment was not lost on the tennis community.

“When I’m back to the locker room, everybody jumping,” Zhang told reporters on Friday. “‘C’mon, Shuai, I’m so happy for you!’ They hug me. Even though they go to shower, [wearing] nothing, they coming to me.”

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Riding that wave of support from her friends and fans, Zhang followed up that win with a stunning offensive performance in the second round, where she toppled No.6 seed and recent US Open semifinalist Emma Navarro, 6-4, 6-2. It is Zhang’s first Top 10 win in two years, with her last coming at 2022 Tokyo over No.10 Caroline Garcia. She has now posted back-to-back singles wins for the first time since the 2023 Australian Open.

That the results have come back home in China is no surprise to the affable 35-year-old, who can consider herself one of the most beloved members of the player body. Her first career win on the Hologic WTA Tour came 15 years ago in Beijing. Six of her nine Top 10 wins have now come on Asian soil. Four came at the China Open, the most for any Chinese player.

That’s an impressive mark considering the Chinese talent of the last two decades.

“I think the special things is I have five years not back to the Chinese season for any tournament,” Zhang told reporters. “I always play really good in China, in Japan, in Korea, the whole Asian season. Also I grew up in Tianjin, Beijing, this area.

“The court, the weather, the air, everything I feel so comfortable. I play very natural. I can play Zhang Shuai tennis.”

Zhang Shuai tennis, when in full flow, is a sight to behold. Holding her position on the baseline, she strikes a flat ball early and can redirect with pace and angle. It was a remarkable display against Navarro, who found herself reacting and on defense for the entire match.

Zhang has a proven ability throughout her career of going from ice cold to red hot seemingly overnight. Fifteen years ago, after earning her first WTA win in the first round of Beijing, she knocked off World No.1 Dinara Safina in the next match. After famously losing her first 14 Grand Slam main-draw matches, she knocked off World No.2 Simona Halep in the first round of the 2016 Australian Open and plowed her way to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

It’s an uncanny pattern, and one that Zhang can only laugh about.

“I think maybe that’s my life,” Zhang said. “I like to give to everybody surprise. If I keep winning, everybody feels like nothing [is a] surprise.”

A two-time quarterfinalist in Beijing, Zhang will face No.94 Greet Minnen in the third round. The Belgian is the lowest-ranked opponent Zhang will have faced this week in Beijing, but she is full of optimism that another feel-good run is in her grasp.

“When I’m back to the China Open, when I’m standing on these two beautiful courts, a lot of good memory come,” she said. “When I’m 20 years old, 15 years ago, I could beat No.1 on these courts. Why I cannot do one more?”