Weeks after her US Open final defeat to Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka clinched her first win of the Asian swing at the China Open.
In her opening match at the WTA 1000 competition, Sabalenka defeated Renata Zarazua comfortably in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. In round three, the Belarusian will take on 26th seed Nikola Bartunkova, whom she defeated earlier this year during the grass-court season.
Sabalenka is bidding to claim her 12th WTA 1000 title at this year’s China Open and her third of the season, following triumphs in Indian Wells and Miami.
Aryna Sabalenka matches Kim Clijsters in feat at the China Open
With her victory over Zarazua, Sabalenka claimed her 154th win at WTA 1000 level, having tallied 54 losses; a win rate of 74.3%. According to Opta Ace, that win percentage now ranks joint fifth all-time, matching four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters.
The only four women with a higher win rate at WTA 1000 events since the format’s introduction in 2009 are Serena Williams, Iga Swiatek, Maria Sharapova and Ashleigh Barty. To qualify for the list, players must have featured in at least 10 matches at the premium level.
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Sabalenka won her first WTA 1000 title at the Wuhan Open in 2018, and defended that title in 2019. She followed it up by winning the Qatar Open in 2020, the Madrid Open in 2021 and 2023, before winning two WTA 1000 titles in a season in 2024: the Cincinnati Open and the Wuhan Open.
Sabalenka won the Miami Open for the first time last year as well as the Madrid Open, and this season she completed the Sunshine Double by going all the way in Miami and Indian Wells. She is now looking to win three WTA 1000 crowns in a season for the first time in her career.
Aryna Sabalenka said she was shocked to see a full crowd in Beijing
In her post-match press conference after the opening victory, Sabalenka was asked if she wanted to say something to her Chinese fans. She replied: “To be honest, I’m so shocked to see an almost full crowd today, to see a lot of kids cheering for me, bringing all the posters, being creative with the gifts, being supportive of me. I’m super grateful for that. Just want to send them love and say thank you so much.”
“I’m definitely happy with the level I played,” said Sabalenka of her performance. “Not much to complain about. Happy with the focus. Happy basically with the performance. So happy to be through.
On the conditions at the China Open, Sabalenka said: “It was a bit chilly. I actually enjoyed playing. Maybe the balls were getting a bit too heavy. It was a bit too heavy on the body. But overall, I’m okay.” Sabalenka is seeded second at the China Open, behind world number one Rybakina.
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