In the first round of the WTA 1000 Indian Wells women's singles match, Zhang Shuai, the former number one player of the Chinese women's tennis, suffered another defeat and lost to the qualifier Benyu Zhenwei, setting a new record in WTA history with a staggering 18 consecutive singles defeats.
Since retiring from the tournament in 2023 due to injury, Zhang Shuai has been working hard to recover her form, but she still failed to regain her peak form at Indian Wells. In the match against Japan's Mayuki Motodama Zhang, Zhang Shuai showed struggle and poor form, and finally suffered a reversal with a score of 7-6 and 0-6 and failed to advance to the next round.
The defeat made Zhang Shuai lose 17 consecutive singles matches, breaking the WTA all-time losing streak held by players such as Ruth and Collins, and becoming a new record holder. This result is undoubtedly a heavy blow for Zhang, but it also reflects the difficulties she faces in the face of fierce competition.
Despite successive setbacks in singles, Zhang Shuai's career prize money has crossed the $10 million mark, becoming only the second Chinese tennis player after Li Na to reach this milestone. The achievement shows some of Zhang's successes in her career, but it also highlights the dilemma she is currently facing.
For the Chinese tennis community, Zhang's losing streak is undoubtedly a worrying sign, but it is also hoped that she can regain her form and achieve better results in future tournaments.
Yuan Yue won the WTA Tour championship for the first time