“I believe in chasing your dream, you got to work on it and go after it,” said Zhang Shuai after outclassing Emma Navarro in the round of 64 at the China Open. Currently ranked No. 595, Shuai was looking for redemption from her 24-match losing streak in singles when she stepped into her home ground in China. And now she is not only in the third round in Beijing, but she has also managed a victory against the World No. 8 Navarro. Exuding her newfound confidence, Shuai expressed her enthusiasm and enduring passion with a heartfelt message on X!

The lowest-ranked player ever to compete in the China Open main draw, Zhang Shuai, displayed her grit, against the world No. 65, McCartney Kessler in the first round, finishing the match in straight sets by 7-6, 7-6. However, that was only the beginning for the two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, as she showed a similar resilience against Navarro in the next match, which ended with a scoreline of 4-6, 2-6. Interestingly, Shuai’s victory over Navarro reminded fans of her career’s first-ever top-10 win against the then No. 1 ranked Dinara Safina in the same tournament almost 15 years ago (2009).

Coming back to the present, this huge leap would now certainly renew Shuai’s confidence in her gameplay, as she later admitted, “I know that many didn’t think I can perform like this again because I have aged and lost my strength. I just wanted to show everyone that my efforts every day is not wasted.” Moreover, Shuai, who also acknowledged her fans’ support throughout the match, later took to X and shared a video from the match, displaying her last few shots before the victory. The 35-year-old Chinese captioned the video, “🫶❤️👊 Thanks , you have been waiting for while ….. dreaming no matter how old you are, the dreams forever young.”

Shuai, who turned pro in 2003, has won three singles titles and 13 doubles titles so far, but she had to take a six-month break last year owing to her injuries. However, when she came back in February at the Dubai Tennis Championships, her stuttering form was palpable against Karolina Pliskova, who defeated her in the first round. Despite repeated setbacks, Shuai continued to play!

And now, after ending her losing streak which extended for more than 600 days, Shuai finds herself ready to lock horns against Greet Minnen in the round of 32 in the China Open. What is her winning formula? Perhaps it lies in her ever “supportive” group of friends, as she herself revealed after her triumph!

Zhang Shuai shares about the support she received in the locker room at the China Open

Following her win against the US Open semifinalist Navarro, Zhang Shuai was quite emotional and opened up on the support she has received from her “friends.” Moreover, she added, “Not only friends but when I’m back to the locker room, everybody jumping, C’mon, Shuai, I’m so happy for you. They hug me. I feel so warm from the other player, coach.”

Shuai’s fellow WTA colleague, Coco Gauff, shared a similar sentiment after the Chinese star’s victory against Kessler in the first match. She stressed how tough it must have been for Shuai to overcome the losing streak. Gauff further appreciated her enthusiasm and high spirits as she said, “That just shows the type of person she is. I’ve learned a lot from her.”

The 2024 Korean Open doubles runner-up, Zhang Shuai, is now hoping to continue to make history in the sport, and slowly progress to the higher ranks, closer to her highest rank, No. 22, which she achieved in January last year. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will certainly be on her!