Zhang Shuai has been able to turn things back around after setting an unwanted record last year.
Zhang lost 24 matches in a row between February 2023 and September 2024, with the Chinese player falling to as low as world number 776 during this tricky period.
This unwanted streak finally came to an end at the China Open last year, where Zhang beat McCartney Kessler en route to reaching the quarterfinals, showing signs of the player that reached a career-high ranking of world number 22.
Zhang was still a long way away from her previous heights, but she has now achieved a big goal in the latter stages of the 2025 season.
Zhang Shuai returns to the top 100 for the first time after 24-match losing streak
Zhang is a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion and is currently 16th in the WTA doubles rankings, and at 36 years old many people would not have blamed her for focussing exclusively on doubles at this stage of her career.
Despite this, Zhang has played 19 matches on the main tour this year, which includes winning her first Grand Slam main draw match in two years at the Australian Open.
Zhang has also reached her first WTA Tour semifinal since 2022 at the Guangzhou Open, and she has also been battling it out on the ITF Tour in the latter stages of the 2025 season.
This has rewarded Zhang with her first singles titles in three years, having won tournaments in Gifu (Japan), Nottingham (UK) and her most recent in Yokohama (Japan).
Zhang’s victory in Yokohama has confirmed her return to the top 100 after a two-year absence, as she is now the world number 90.
This ranking will ensure Zhang that she can now directly enter the Australian Open, as she has achieved it just before the cut-off.
Despite this, Zhang is now scheduled to head back to Europe to play another tournament at the WTA 125 event in Angers, France.
Who will win the 2026 Australian Open?
The surprising thing Zhang Shuai said she is better at doing at 36 years old than when she was 26
Many tennis players would have already retired at 36 years old, particularly after suffering a 24-match losing streak, but that is not the case for Zhang.
When speaking to the wtatennis.com earlier this year, Zhang suggested that she actually feels fitter than she did 10 years ago.
“My fitness today is even stronger than it was eight or ten years ago,” Zhang said. “Not many people can play almost a full season and still compete in this heat with such determination. I have a lot of faith in myself because all my training and accumulation over time are paying off.
“So I’m not surprised by these results. Anyone who knows me knows how much effort I’ve put in. I believe effort brings reward. We just need to keep planting the seeds, and good things will come.”
Which tennis player am I thinking of?
Zhang now has one tournament left this year, which she will begin against Spanish player Marina Bassols in Angers.
Then she will turn her attention to the 2026 season including the Australian Open, which is another tournament Zhang set an unwanted streak at.
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