Aryna Sabalenka spoils Zheng Qinwen’s homecoming, wins third Wuhan title

WUHAN, China — Top seed Aryna Sabalenka spoiled home hope Zheng Qinwen’s perfect homecoming on Sunday, after clinching her third title at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory in the final.

Zheng, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and a native of Wuhan, celebrated her 22nd birthday earlier this week and advanced to the final after defeating countrywoman Wang Xinyu in the first all-Chinese semifinal in tournament history.

Following in the footsteps of two-time Grand Slam winner Li Na, who retired on these courts a decade ago after her success sparked the rise of Chinese tennis, Zheng seemed poised to make more history in her first WTA 1000 final.

Read More: 10 years after Li Na, China’s Zheng Qinwen is on the verge of history again in Wuhan

But Sabalenka, who has won her two previous Wuhan finals in 2018 and 2019, walked out on Sunday understanding her role as the heel, wearing giant over-ear headphones signaling her intent to block out the noise and just get to work.

“I'm not really focusing on the crowd when they're against me anymore,” Sabalenka told press afterward. “I don't really hear them. I'm just focusing on myself and my team…

“I think that match against Coco (Gauff in the US Open final) last year gave me a lot. I'm actually really glad I lost that match, because I think it was better for me. I learned a lot.”

A dream final for the tournament but a nightmare matchup for Zheng, the Chinese player had never defeated Sabalenka in their three previous meetings. She hadn’t taken a set off of her until Sunday, with Zheng falling in a one-sided US Open semifinal this year after being routed in the Australian Open final 6-3, 6-2.

When asked what she would change in her approach ahead of her fourth time meeting with Sabalenka, Zheng highlighted her “mentality”—pointing out that she had been quick to get frustrated against the Belarusian’s firepower and back off her game plan.

For the first set and a half, it seemed like she still had a long way to go as she attempted to scale “the mountain Zheng has yet to overcome,” as Chinese netizens have taken to calling Sabalenka.

Zheng struggled with her serve in high-pressure moments, with one break of serve deciding the opening set. The No. 5 seed often caught and repeated a hitchy ball toss, in the match played indoors under a closed roof due to light rain in the area.

Sabalenka looked ready to run away with the match after taking the first set 6-3 and claiming the first break in the second. But as Zheng continued to apply pressure in the return games and with a sell-out crowd of 13,000 strong at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center willing her on, Sabalenka eventually blinked.

The pair were evenly matched for most of the second and third sets, which each clocked in at an hour as Zheng and Sabalenka traded breaks of serve and blows from the baseline. From a double-break 0-3 deficit in the deciding set, Zheng clawed one of the breaks back and held a point to level the score 3-3—but Sabalenka held firm, and denied the home favorite the epic comeback as she closed out the victory in two hours and 41 minutes.

Read More: Aryna Sabalenka talks “Tiger” theme song after winning third title in Wuhan

Sabalenka extended her winning streak to 17-0 in Wuhan, becoming the first player in tournament to win three consecutive titles. It's the 26-year-old's fifth trophy won on Chinese soil—the most of any player in the Open era.

For Zheng, who is still fighting for the last spot in the WTA Finals Riyadh, it’s another learning experience as she continues to climb her personal “mountain”.

“She forced me to see some of the weaknesses in my tactics,” Zheng told press afterward. “I really look forward to training. I look forward to the next match against her.”