Aryna Sabalenka Battles Through to Achieve Historic WTA Feat Even Serena Williams Couldn’t

Clutching her racquet bag, Aryna Sabalenka struck a playful pose among pine trees, captioning it “Work life balance” with a smiling emoji. Her Instagram overflowed with glimpses of off-court life: Mediterranean escapes, gym sessions with her team, and sweeping shots of a Greek resort. Fresh off her second consecutive US Open title, the World No. 1 balanced business with leisure while most of her WTA peers battled in Beijing. Nursing a “minor injury” from New York, Sabalenka had withdrawn from the opener. Yet, with her Greek getaway behind her, she returned to Wuhan with fire in her eyes, achieving a historic win that even Serena Williams never managed.

Returning to action for the first time since claiming her fourth Grand Slam, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka took a set to find her rhythm at the Dongfeng Voyah, Wuhan Open. Once settled, she surged past Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, showcasing the power and poise that make her a tour-level nightmare.

Wuhan has long been Sabalenka’s fortress. She captured her first WTA 1000 title here in 2018 and has yet to taste defeat at the tournament. With this latest victory, the three-time champion extended her perfect Wuhan record to 18-0, marking the longest undefeated streak at a single event since Caroline Wozniacki’s run in New Haven.

Remarkably, Sabalenka is only the second player this century to win her first 18 main-draw matches at a single WTA-level event, following Wozniacki, who claimed her first 20 wins at New Haven, capturing three titles between 2008 and 2012. While Serena Williams couldn’t, her bestie could: Sabalenka etches her name in history as Wuhan’s unstoppable force.