Overview

• World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka resumes her season at the Wuhan Open after a month-long break, saying she feels physically ready following her withdrawal from Beijing.
• She carries a perfect 17-0 record in Wuhan and is targeting a fourth consecutive title, with Anna Kalinskaya or Rebecca Sramkova possible first opponents.
• Sabalenka described receiving “a lot of hate” online, saying she was shocked by messages, including from mothers, and that she tries not to engage with such comments.
• Despite the negativity, she calls herself an “open book” and intends to keep sharing to stay connected with fans and build support at events.
• Her return comes as she leads the year-end rankings race over Iga Swiatek, who recently highlighted abusive online comments, and a strong Wuhan result could bolster Sabalenka’s advantage.