Overview

• The world No. 1 confirmed she feels good and chose extra recovery time, skipping Beijing after a small post‑US Open injury.
• She arrives in Wuhan with a 17–0 record at the event and as the three‑time defending champion, with Anna Kalinskaya or Rebecca Sramkova possible first opponents.
• A title defense would bolster her lead in the year‑end rankings race against Iga Swiatek, who is also competing this week.
• Sabalenka has spoken candidly about frequent online abuse, saying she sometimes sees “terrible” messages, including from people she identified as mothers.
• Despite the harassment, she remains active on Instagram and TikTok to connect with fans and show a fuller picture of herself off court.