Swiatek and Osaka Shine in Wuhan Open: Quiet Masters, Loud Comebacks
7 October 2025
Swiatek storms into the third round at Wuhan Open
Poland’s Iga Swiatek, the world No. 2, opened her Wuhan Open campaign with a strong start in the 1000-point event, advancing to the third round after sweeping Czech star Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 6-1.
In the third round she will face the winner of Belinda Bencic versus Elise Mertens, who had earlier defeated Donna Vekic in straight sets (6-2, 6-2).
Swiatek leads Bouzkova 2-0 in their head-to-head, while the Czech is now 0-7 this year against top-10 opponents.
Ranked No. 2 and celebrated for her consistency, Swiatek remains a force, even as a six-time Grand Slam champion would tell you that the odds of losing are higher than winning. She has played 17 events this year and collected titles at Wimbledon, Cincinnati, and Seoul.
According to the WTA, Swiatek said, "There are many tournaments you win and then you lose the next week, so it’s disappointing... it’s hard to win all the time and stay at your best; I don’t expect it, but I focus on developing and working every day to play my best."
This patient, long-term approach has paid off: Swiatek logged her 60th win of 2025, becoming the only player this century to reach that mark for four straight years; Hingis and Davenport were the previous benchmarks for such a run.
In 1,000-point events, Swiatek has 31 opening wins in a row dating back to 1990; Hingis (40) remains the benchmark.
The win also marked Swiatek’s 100th straight-sets victory in 153 matches, a milestone Serena Williams reached in fewer matches (144).
Swiatek added, "In every tournament I go to, I want to play my best. Some days it comes, some days it doesn’t. I try to give my all and focus on daily progress rather than setting long-term round goals."
Osaka earns first Wuhan victory in eight years
Naomi Osaka, who hadn’t played Wuhan since 2017, dropped the opening set 4-6 to Leila Fernandez but battled back to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in two hours and 30 minutes, earning her first Wuhan win and a second-round berth.
This victory represents Osaka’s fourth first-round win in seven 1,000-point events this season.
Osaka defeated Fernandez for the first time, leveling their head-to-head at 1-1, and became the first Japanese player to win at least one match in every current 1,000-point event.
The win adds to Osaka’s late-2025 surge, marking a seventh opening-round win in 1,000-point events and signaling a renewed momentum after a year of testing matches.
Next up she faces Linda Nosk fova, Beijing runner-up, in the second round; Nosk fova also survived a three-setter against a qualifier to advance, rediscovering form in a match that stretched long into the day.
In the same batch of results, Sorana Cirstea defeated Elina Ostapenko in a match that ended with Ostapenko retiring due to injury, a reminder that even in mega-events, health can tilt the balance in a hurry.
Other matches unfolded with a mix of drama and caution, underscoring why Wuhan has earned its place on the calendar as a test of nerve and consistency for the biggest names in women’s tennis.
As the rounds continue, fans will be watching for the next layers of tension: the duel between power and precision, and the persistent question of whether the year’s best players can convert elite potential into dominant finishes.
Two punchlines to close: 1) In tennis, the only thing sharper than a serve is a snappy one-liner from the crowd when a ball kisses the line. 2) If Swiatek and Osaka played chess with a net, the pawns would be the balls and the king would be the comeback—checkmate, every rally.
