Emma Raducanu handed enticing draw as Aryna Sabalenka faces tough tests in Wuhan
The draw has been released for the final WTA 1000 event of the season in Wuhan, with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka back in China to defend her title in her battle to finish the season at the top of the rankings.
Like all the top seeds, Sabalenka has a bye in the opening round and will not play until Tuesday in what is a one-week event, rather than the extended WTA 1000 events that now litter the tennis season.
Here are the big talking points as prize money and the chase for rankings heading into 2026 are on the minds of all the players.
SABALENKA’S PATH TO THE FINAL
World No 1 Sabalenka missed the WTA 1000 event in Beijing as she took an extended break after her US Open win, but she is back in Wuhan, where she was a winner in 2018, 2019 and 2024.
More Tennis News
Coco Gauff posts alarming serve stats as she is hammered by Amanda Anisimova at China Open
Emma Raducanu picks a defeat as her one of her best matches of the 2025 season
Sabalenka’s first match will be against Rebecca Sramkova or Anna Kalinskaya, with the second of those potential match-ups likely to provide a big test for the Belarusian, who has not played since the US Open.
She could face a blockbuster match-up against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina in what is a tough section of the draw.
IGA SWIATEK’S GOOD DRAW
Iga Swiatek will be keen to bounce back from her disappointing early exit against Emma Navarro in Beijing as she takes on either Camila Osorio or Marie Bouzkova in her opening match.
She could take on Belinda Bencic or Donna Vekic in round three, with a possible meeting against Claura Tauson, who beat her in Montreal in August, in the third round.
Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini are in Swiatek’s section, with the second of those two players a potential quarter-final opponent.
EMMA RADUCANU’S BIG CHANCE
British No 1 Emma Raducanu is pushing to finish the year in the top 32 of the rankings, as she chases a seeded position in the opening Grand Slam of 2026 at the Australian Open.
Raducanu was not seeded for this event and could have been drawn against any of the big names in her first match, but she has been given a winnable draw against world No 47, Ann Li from America.
After that, Raducanu is in line to face No 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or WTA 1000 Montreal winner Victoria Mboko in round two.
Those matches are far from easy, but a couple of wins in Wuhan will give Raducanu the rankings boost she is chasing.
LOOK OUT FOR
Naomi Osaka’s match-up with Leylah Fernandez will create huge interest with the fans in Wuhan, with Marta Kostyuk’s clash against No 12 seed Karolina Muchova another enticing first-round clash.
It will also be interesting to see how Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and Emma Navarro adapt in Wuhan, as they were still playing in Beijing when the draw was made.
It is a two-hour flight from Beijing to Wuhan and a lengthy drive to the hotel being used by the players in the heart of Wuhan, so their early matches could produce some upsets.
Gauff could face Chinese favourite Wang Xinyu in round one, with Anisimova possibly facing world No 48 Jessica Bouzas Manei.
