Aryna Sabalenka continues to affirm her supremacy in Wuhan. The number one athlete in the world has expanded her record at the tournament to an impressive 20 victories in a row after she posted a 6-3, 6-3 win over Elena Rybakina on Friday. 

Only two wins now separate her from claiming a fourth successive title at this Chinese location. 

No Hardships at All 

The entire encounter took only 85 minutes. Throughout the match, Sabalenka was in such dominance that she broke Rybakina’s serve thrice and did not lose her own even once. After she was declared the victor, Sabalenka proceeded to the net, greeted the audience with a wave, and directed kisses to her fan club that had seen her conquer this tournament for years. 

This was not just another win in Sabalenka’s list of victories. It was also a milestone in the sense that it was the first time she had ever beaten Rybakina without needing to fight through the full three sets. All the previous encounters among the two had ended with the athletes walking the same distance, but this time around, the US Open winner made it look easy.

Making History One Match at a Time

Sabalenka’s 20-match streak puts her in rare company. She’s become just the fourth woman to rack up 20 straight main draw victories at a single WTA tournament since 2000. The others who pulled this off were Monica Seles at the Australian Open with 33 victories, Steffi Graf at a tournament with 25, and Caroline Wozniacki in New Haven with 20.​

The Belarusian has owned Wuhan since her first appearance there. Her track record shows victories in:

• 2018 championship
• 2019 championship
• 2024 championship after the tournament returned from a break
• 20 straight matches without a single loss​

Kheloexch followers and tennis fans worldwide have watched her turn this tournament into her personal playground. Every time she steps on these courts, opponents know they’re facing an uphill battle.​

What Makes Wuhan So Special

There’s something about this Chinese city that makes Sabalenka’s contest look like pure gold. Since 2018, when she first came here, she has never lost a match. The 27-year-old athlete with an active streak of nine consecutive match wins in all tournaments after winning her US Open title last month.​

Her numbers this year characterize her totally. In the year 2025 alone, she has made it to the semifinals 11 times. This kind of persistence is what separates the good from the great athletes. Definitely, Sabalenka is one of them and she surely belongs to the great ones.​

Next Challenge Ahead

Jessica Pegula awaits in the semifinals after her hard-fought three-set win over Katerina Siniakova. The American had to come back after losing the first set, but she eventually won 2-6, 6-0, 6-3. This is her seventh consecutive match where she needed three sets to finish off her opponent.​

The statistics heavily tilt in Sabalenka’s favor for this particular matchup. Eight out of their ten previous encounters have gone in her favor. Over the last two years, she has swept Pegula aside four times. But as anyone who follows tennis via Kheloexch knows, previous results are no assurance for the next ones.

The Bigger Picture

Arkady hath taken in this season’s times. Apart from throwing her dominance in Wuhan, she has gained four grand prizes in her account, which among them two successive wins in the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024, then two successive victories in the US Open in 2024 and 2025. Over the years she has continually pocketed $29 million of which she is currently the number one ranked athlete in the world. 

She has a great powerful serve which gives her a lot of advantages. This season she has an average of 3.6 aces per match. To make the situation worse for her competitors, she also has very strong groundstrokes, and therefore once she gets into her rhythm, her opponents find it very hard to cope with her.

The Path Leading to Four Titles in a Row

Only two wins are all that Sabalenka needs in order to make a rare occurrence of four titles won in a row at the same tournament. Very few athletes have reached this level competing at the WTA 1000 for longer than one tournament, thus it is not only the case that Sabalenka’s name will be remembered in Wuhan but also by winning one more time her position in the place will be completely unrivaled. 

The match against Pegula in the semifinals will be the toughest challenge she has to pass. Next, she might face either Jasmine Paolini or Coco Gauff in the final, the latter easily defeating Laura Siegemund by 6-3, 6-0 to secure her place in the last four. Moreover, Paolini has surprisingly beaten the world No. 2, Iga Swiatek, with a score of 6-1, 6-2 and thus is through to the semis.

Why This Streak Matters

Twenty straight victories at one tournament doesn’t happen by accident. It takes mental strength, physical fitness, and the right mindset every single time you walk on the court. Sabalenka has shown all three qualities in Wuhan over the years.​

Her record here stands at a perfect 20-0 in the main draw. That’s the kind of stat that defines careers and creates legends. She’s turned Wuhan into her fortress, a place where opponents arrive already half-beaten before the first ball gets hit.​

The pressure keeps building with each match, but Sabalenka keeps delivering. That’s what champions do.​