WUHAN, October 9, 2025 (Press Release)
Friday is set to be a blockbuster day of quarter-final action at the DONGFENG • VOYAH WUHAN OPEN, with three-time defending champion and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka leading a last eight line-up that also includes Iga Swiatek, Jasmine Paolini, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Sabalenka’s next opponent Elena Rybakina.
Sabalenka eased past Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday with a victory which extended Sabalenka’s current win streak to nine matches, including her US Open victory last month, and moved her perfect Wuhan Open record to 19-0. Rybakina, currently ranked No.9 in the world, halted China Open finalist Linda Noskova’s momentum with a 6-4 6-3 victory.
19 wins in a row for @SabalenkaA in Wuhan #WuhanOpen pic.twitter.com/37ckJItKia
— wta (@WTA) October 9, 2025
Gauff proved too strong for China’s Shuai Zhang on Thursday, despite noisy support for the veteran local player. The reigning Roland Garros champion now takes on Laura Siegemund for a place in the semi-finals after the German followed up her upset win over Mirra Andreeva with a straight sets victory over Magdalena Frech.
Can’t stop Coco @CocoGauff makes it back-to-back quarterfinals in Wuhan, defeating Zhang 6-3, 6-2.#WuhanOpen pic.twitter.com/ahD2I75D9t
— wta (@WTA) October 9, 2025
Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek will play two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini in the Wuhan quarter-finals in a replay of last year’s Roland Garros final. Swiatek overcame a resurgent Belinda Bencic in Thursday’s evening session, delivering a 7-6(2) 6-4 win in a high quality encounter with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold medallist.
“For sure I wanted to play with confidence and make great decisions because against Belinda you can’t let her dictate so I really tried to do that,” said Swiatek, the World No. 2 and second seed. “It was super hard and every game was tough, that’s why it was two sets and over two hours. But I’m happy I was there in the deciding moments, to be solid and play one more shot back.”
World No. 7 Paolini advanced to her second straight Wuhan Open quarterfinal after Denmark’s Clara Tauson was forced to retire in the third set with a right thigh injury.
World No. 6 Pegula advanced to her first Wuhan quarterfinal with another gritty three-set win. For the sixth consecutive match, the 31-year-old American was taken the distance, this time prevailing against No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5 3-6 6-3.
As she looks to make her second straight WTA 1000 semifinal, Pegula will face Katerina Siniakova next. The Czech, who is ranked No.1 in doubles but came through the qualifying rounds in singles here, beat US-American lucky loser Iva Jovic 7-5 6-3.
The stakes are high for Pegula this week. A title run would qualify her outright for a fourth straight WTA Finals and a fourth career WTA 1000 title.
Pegula has become a fan favorite in China, where fans have flocked to her down-to-earth personality and generosity towards the Tour’s Chinese players. Fans on Chinese social media sites like Red Note and Weibo have taken to calling her “Da Fu”, which translates to “Big Rich”, referring to her family’s sports business, which includes ownership of the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills and National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres.
