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Big names have begun arriving in Beijing for the 2024 China Open, the biggest event of the Asian swing. Home favorite Zheng Qiwen will be leading the field at the WTA 1000 event, set to begin on Monday (September 23).
In the absence of defending champion and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula will be the top two seeds at this year’s tournament.
The duo, however, face a whole host of challenges. The stacked field does have a few names that stand out and could emerge as dark horses for the title. Here, we list three such players and dissect their chances at the China Open:
Jasmine Paolini
Before her runs to two Grand Slam finals at the French Open and Wimbledon, Jasmine Paolini was busy making waves at WTA 1000 level. Unseeded, she staged an improbable run to the title at the Dubai Open, taking out the likes of Beatriz Haddad Maia, Maria Sakkari, and Anna Kalinskaya en route. While the feisty Italian has established her liking for natural surfaces since her strong baseline game also makes her a big threat on hard courts. Her 34-15 win-loss for the season is right up there with the best. The results have been consistent given that she has made at least the last-16 at all tournaments she has played since May. Paolini will be making her debut at the tournament as the third seed no less. Her experience of having already lifted the title at this level and sublime form this season makes the World No. 5 one of the players to watch out for.
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Zheng Qinwen
There’s no other feeling like playing in front of a big stage in front of a boisterous home crowd. Playing in Beijing at a WTA 1000 event then is as good as it gets from Zheng Qinwen, the top-ranked Chinese player.
The youngster’s popularity is at its peak given her run to Olympic singles gold and she will be the big crowd favorite heading into the China Open. Zheng’s big serve, booming groundstrokes, and athleticism make her a nightmare to play against. And her form could not have been better.
The Chinese player’s 29-14 win-loss for the season includes three titles but does not include her Olympics exploits. She is also ranked No. 3 in the ace leaderboard with 270 service winners to her name. Rest assured, no player would want to see their name to the in-form 21-year-old at any point in the tournament.
Donna Vekic
Donna Vekic likes to hit flat and fast. Just those qualities make her a big threat in quick conditions. And given her recent form, she could well wreak havoc at the China Open.
The Croat has had a resurgence of sorts in recent times, making it to a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in her career at Wimbledon. She backed it up with a silver medal at the Olympics and a return to the top 20 in the world rankings.
And yet, her most favored surface remains to be hardcourts. Eight of her 14 Tour-level finals have come on the turf and she will be feeling good about her prospects heading into the China Open. Vekic has had success in Asia before, with her first career title also coming in Malaysia way back in 2014, With renewed vigor, the 28-year-old will be gunning for a podium finish.
