Some more gold to add to the collection ๐ฅ๐ Congratulations to Zheng Qinwen on a fantastic week in Beijing! ๐ #ChinaOpen https://t.co/z7DkGYLw0C
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 11, 2026


Queen of Beijing: Qinwen Zheng with her China Open champions trophy. https://t.co/yQTeCC2D7a
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) October 11, 2026
A little post-victory karaoke from Qinwen ๐๐ถ #ChinaOpen https://t.co/Y2nEMaJjBT
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 11, 2026
Andreeva d. Nikola Bartunkova 6-2 6-2 Mirra reaches the Beijing final for the first time. She’ll be the new world No. 3 on Monday. Playing such powerful, clean, & smart tennis at just 19 years old. ✅4th WTA 1000 final Showing why she’s solidified her status as one of the best players in the world. ๐
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 10, 2026
the world no. 3๐ฅน https://t.co/aJJU7CO1pJ
— ⭐️⭐️ (@sasha16alex) October 10, 2026
Turning the tables ๐ Sinja Kraus comes back fighting in the second set against Bartunkova to take it 6-4! #ChinaOpen https://t.co/LEbIJx2yF1
— wta (@WTA) October 6, 2026
In Samsun, Turkey, 30-year old Aksu became the second Turk in recent weeks (w/ Berfu Cengiz last month in Ankara) to win a 125 crown, grabbing her biggest career title in what was her second 125 final this season (she lost to Dasha Vidmanova in June). Eight months after winning what was then her biggest crown (a $75K), Aksu posted wins in Samsun over Emiliana Arango, Alicia Dudeney, Fiona Crawley, Himeno Sakatsume and Lucrezia Stefanini in a three-set final. Previously a longtime success on the ITF level, where she's won 14 career events in 27 final appearances, Aksu will jump from #210 all the way up the #152, far outdistancing her previous career high of #198.
Wow. Elise Mertens backs up her win over 2023 champ Coco Gauff and defeats 2024 champ Iga Swiatek 7-6(0), 6-3 to reach the semifinals in Beijing. Playing the best tennis of her life at 30yo 3rd career WTA 1000 semifinal 1st since... 2021! https://t.co/iEnr8pRyCq
— Josรฉ Morgado (@josemorgado) October 9, 2026
Playing in her first 1000 SF since Dubai 2021 (she hadn't reached a QF since Madrid '21), after a 48-event drought at that level, Mertens fell a round short of what would have been her maiden 1000 final in a straight sets loss to Zheng Qinwen. Already this season, Mertens has reached her first slam QF (Wimbledon) since 2020, as well as posting her best career win over then-#2 Elena Rybakina (also WI), and reached a tour singles final for the tenth straight season. She remains title-less, though, with her last title coming on the grass at Rosmalen in summer '25. Her last title above the 250 level came in Australia in January '21. The Belgian will rise to #14 in the new rankings, with a shot at reaching her career high of #12 (from 2018) before the end of the season. Always a double threat, Mertens also reached the WD semis alongside Diana Shnaider in their first pairing since reaching the U.S. Open SF. Svitolina arrived in Beijing off Ukraine's maiden trip to the BJK Cup Final, then added to her consistent '26 campaign with her 12th QF (in 18 events) of the season (fifth in a 1000) following wins over Katerina Siniakova, Maria Sakkari and Ann Li.
Elina Svitolina defeats Ann Li 6-2, 6-3 to reach the QFs in Beijing. 29 WTA 1000 QFs 5 (!) in 2026 Faces Zheng on Friday. https://t.co/K5WAMvRrHJ
— Josรฉ Morgado (@josemorgado) October 7, 2026
Svitolina lost in the last eight to Zheng Qinwen, but she's likely to be the next to book her spot in the WTA Finals in Indian Wells. She's currently in the #6 spot in the Race, with an 1100 and 1200 point lead on the top two players currently outside the field (Kostyuk and Swiatek) in the Race standings after Beijing. Svitolina hasn't been in the tour championships field since reaching her second straight final in 2019 (she was the champion in '18).
Aces it out ✅ Ekaterina Alexandrova defeats Wimbledon champion Noskova in straight sets after an incredible performance! #ChinaOpen https://t.co/DhyUR7PToS
— wta (@WTA) October 6, 2026
Alexandrova fell in a pair of TB sets vs. countrywoman Mirra Andreeva in the QF. Alexandrova served for both sets, at 5-3 in the 1st (after trailing 3-1) and 6-5 in the 2nd (after trailing 5-3). 9-5 since her retirement loss in the Memphis QF to 16-year old Kristina Liutova, Alexandrova will jump back up to #24 in the new rankings. In Suzhou, Sramkova posted her best result of an otherwise forgettable season, winning the 125 crown with a 6-3/6-1 win in the final over late-blooming 31-year old Japanese player Kyoka Okamura, who was playing in her biggest career final. The Slovak had notched previous wins on the week over Claire Liu and Renata Zarazua. It's Sramkova's biggest title since winning her maiden tour-level crown in Hua Hin two years ago (she reached three WTA finals in '24). Before this week she'd only advanced past the 2nd Round in one (a 125 QF in Oeiras in April) of her first 23 events this season.
REBECCA SRAMKOVA CHAMPIONNE DU SUZHOU SLAM SUR UNE BALLE DE MATCH AUX PETITS OIGNONS ๐ญ Premier titre WTA depuis 2 ans, nature is healing (elle retourne mรชme pas dans le top 130 mdrr) https://t.co/DlpevIWO2O
— Schem (@SayAlleez) October 11, 2026
Nikola Bartunkova's epic China Open run continues as she moves on into the semis with a quick straight-set win over fellow Czech Karolina Muchova. https://t.co/iZX4N3Z8kV
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) October 8, 2026
Bartunkova d. Karolina Muchova 6-3 6-0 in Beijing Incredible. 20 year old Nikola reaches her first WTA 1000 semifinal. Beat World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka at the start of the tournament. Now beats World No. 8 & the Wimbledon finalist. She’ll also be a top 30 player when the new rankings come out. Simply awesome talent… it’s just stunning to watch. ✅3rd top 10 win Week of her life. ๐จ๐ฟ❤️
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 8, 2026
CAMPEONA Y A AUSTRALIA ๐✈️ ☑️ Ane Mintegi ๐ช๐ธ protagoniza una nueva remontada (5-7 6-4 6-0) para vencer a Sobolieva y hacerse con el W50 de Burgas. 10 victorias consecutivas para Ane que se sitรบa en su mejor ranking histรณrico y saldrรก maรฑana la 207 en la clasificaciรณn. ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ https://t.co/3LRD22uqEG
— Santi (@ArmadaFemenina) October 11, 2026
First pro title in the bag for 17-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi ✅ The Indian won both singles and doubles crowns at W35 Lagos, Portugal. But this is just the start as she heads towards complete transition to senior circuit. ๐ธ @EmmanualYogini +++ https://t.co/vCjy11ENwg
— Nihit (@nihitsachdeva28) October 11, 2026
Qualifier Maaya Rajeshwaran wins the W35 Lagos, Portugal title without dropping a set ๐ฅ https://t.co/Yj56K6yZkj
— Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) (@IndTennisDaily) October 11, 2026
๐ฎ๐ณ Maaya Rajeshwaran becomes the youngest Indian woman to win a W35-level singles title, breaking ๐ฎ๐ณ Sania Mirza’s record ๐ฅ The parallels are hard to miss: ๐ Both won in Lagos (Maaya in Portugal, Sania in Nigeria) ๐ Both were 17 (Maaya 17y 3m, Sania 17y 10m) ๐ Both won in October, a day apart on the calendar (11 Oct 2026, 10 Oct 2004) ๐ Same level: Sania’s $25,000 event is today’s W35 (renamed in 2024)
— Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) (@IndTennisDaily) October 11, 2026
The winning moment ๐คฉ Gabriela Dabrowski & Luisa Stefani are your champions in Beijing! #ChinaOpen https://t.co/CfGwE5ee7x
— wta (@WTA) October 11, 2026
Gabriela Dabrowski & Luisa Stefani are your 2026 China Open Champions! ๐ #ChinaOpen https://t.co/C3iwGTZ8US
— wta (@WTA) October 11, 2026


Resilient Muchova ๐ช Karolina Muchova moves onto the next round in Beijing after defeating Osaka after an incredible tiebreaker! #ChinaOpen https://t.co/l2LHeTy60X
— wta (@WTA) October 6, 2026
Unfortunately, this one seemingly took everything out of Muchova, as she was dominated in the QF by Bartunkova, dropping the first five games of the match, winning three in a row and then losing the last seven in a 6-3/6-0 defeat.
Swiatek wins the 2nd set 7-6(0) against Donna Vekic in Beijing. Down a double break 2-5. Iga came up with some incredible tennis to stay alive. Off to a decider. ๐ https://t.co/mF5O31jvqz
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 5, 2026
Meanwhile (and exactly)...
@VenusGauff WTA twitter admin doesn’t watch WTA
— shepph3ad (@log4n0oyi6) October 5, 2026
The WTA is and remains the GOAT of unforced errors. Would this have been so hard?
Iga Swiatek won this match ๐ฑ The 2023 champion fought back from a set and a double break down to defeat Donna Vekic at the China Open ๐ฅ https://t.co/2v6tFtbsEN
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) October 5, 2026
"I let you win, so you must beat Iga." https://t.co/y00mjOdQbU
— Penkostan (@ostaplosion) October 9, 2026
won a tb 7-0 for the 1st time then lost a tb 0-7 for the 1st time https://t.co/zyuAv5EUeC
— Igaitana | ๐ต๐ธ (@igaitana11) October 9, 2026
Swiatek remains around 600 points behind Muchova for the last spot. Race #8 Linda Noskova and #9 Marta Kostyuk are positioned between the two in the standings, but Noskova has assured her spot in the field on the strength of her Wimbledon title whether she holds onto her current final Top 8 spot in the standings or not.
Updated WTA Finals Race: As I said earlier, Swiatek missed a golden opportunity in Beijing to close the gap, still behind Kostyuk who is set to return next week in Wuhan. Muchova is the only one of the four not playing a big schedule down the stretch to ensure qualification. https://t.co/rjwBAUwPKW
— Tennis Updates (@TennisUpdates26) October 9, 2026
The pop from the crowd. Goosebumps. https://t.co/E0FiZUDyY9
— Josรฉ Morgado (@josemorgado) October 11, 2026
Xinran Sun delighting the home crowd! ๐ฃ #ChinaOpen https://t.co/RkJgNFTtKz
— wta (@WTA) October 5, 2026
Stunning tennis from 16-year-old Xinran Sun ๐ #ChinaOpen https://t.co/IixuNcnjG2
— wta (@WTA) October 5, 2026
Of course, all that'll be remembered from this match is that with Gauff serving in the 1st set, and Sun leading 5-4, Coco stopped mid-point and asked for a re-playing of the point when a wall of electronic ads flickered in her line of vision as she moved to make a volley. The chair umpire *did* grant the perfectly justified request for a re-play. Predictably, the moment set off a whole manufactured controversy in which Gauff was hounded as a "cheater," and some declared that Sun had been "robbed of the set." Sun reacted emotionally (i.e. like a normal 16-year old might) to losing the point, and Gauff dominated the match the rest of the way. Naturally, this brought out all the racist social media trolls, as well. It got so bad that Gauff felt she had to publicly address the landslide of racism sent her way...
@HHuotui https://t.co/ibmUEz84Qk
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) October 5, 2026
Coco Gauff said she received an "insane" amount of racist comments on social media following a controversial point in her China Open match against home player Sun Xinran. Here's what happened. @vladduthiersCBS https://t.co/fisF6Quso9
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 6, 2026
Of course, the best answer to it all would have been to go on and win the tournament, but that didn't happen. In her next match, Gauff suffered her worst loss -- 6-3/6-3 to Elise Mertens, against whom she'd been 5-0 -- since February in Doha, as her last eight complete-match losses had all come in three-set affairs. She then announced her withdrawal from Wuhan, where she was the reigning champion.
Defending champion Coco Gauff has withdrawn from Wuhan Masters 1000 due to fatigue. "I'm disappointed to withdraw from Wuhan, especially as the defending champion. I always love playing there. After a long year, my body needs some time to rest and recover. I look forward to returning next year.”
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) October 7, 2026
Credit to Gauff for going public with the abuse. But, still, I honestly don't know why players don't just use social media as a place to post and vent, and simply don't look at the comments and messages from people who are just trying to inflict judgement and pain (which surely *seems* to have gotten to Coco in this case), giving them the sort of power they haven't earned and surely don't deserve. I know the WTA has done work to try to stop such abuse, but nothing will block it *all* out except for choosing to not give it all the headspace its perpetrators seek. That doesn't mean not calling it all out when it happens, of course. Some cooperation between the tour and the media companies supposedly monitoring such activity would be nice, too. In a perfect world. Of course, the WTA being the WTA, didn't even come out and make any sort of statement in the middle of this needless mess, once again leaving one of its own to fend for herself without public institutional support at a moment when it would have been appreciated and most needed, not to mention *expected*. But it's the WTA, so...


There’s no room for racism ever. https://t.co/JemfBmj3yW
— TOGETHXR (@togethxr) October 5, 2026
Why are the "haters" attacking @CocoGauff ? She did everything within the rules. Honestly, Coco is the most genuine, thoughtful, humble human being you'll ever find. She is loved by everyone in the Tennis world. It's really disturbing to see her going through this turmoil.#kindness
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) October 8, 2026
Coco ! You are a proud black woman and we love you ! Don’t care or look ๐ at any of the comments from the ignorant stupid people .., You’re special and one of a kind ! Keep walking straight with your head held up high ! Love from the Becker family!
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) October 5, 2026
Racist messages such as those targeting #tennis player @CocoGauff online are appalling and illustrate that Black female athletes are specifically targeted for vitriol and racial abuse. There is no place in sport for racial or sexist slurs and abuse. Players, coaches, and sports bodies need to stand up for those facing such attacks and fans need to push back against those who sully sport with racism and sexism.
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) October 10, 2026
Also, I wouldn't recommend reading any of the comments on the threads concerning Gauff, either, as you quickly lose brain cells the longer you subject yourself to such trash.


Where is Peng Shuai? As the ATP and WTA tour through China this month, @jon_wertheim raises the critical question in his latest @SInow mailbag. Head to the link in our bio to read the full breakdown ๐ https://t.co/089eugq58s
— Served with Andy Roddick (@Served_Podcast) October 9, 2026

Serena Williams is the newest Barbie Role Model ๐ Her outfit is from her 2005 Australian Open win. Truly iconic. ๐ธ @Barbie https://t.co/dIKwLYpRSz
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 8, 2026
I never saw that cannon incoming https://t.co/RNUNYzEien
— Wile E. Coyote (@WileECoyoteToon) October 10, 2026
This clip shows David Bowie’s famous 1979 Saturday Night Live performance of “The Man Who Sold the World.” Bowie was joined onstage by the theatrical performers Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias, creating one of the most visually striking television appearances of his career. Unable to move freely because he was encased in an oversized plastic tuxedo designed by Mark Ravitz, Bowie relied on Nomi and Arias to carry and guide him across the stage. The surreal, avant-garde staging reflected Bowie's fascination with performance art and the emerging New York underground scene, and the appearance introduced many American viewers to Klaus Nomi, who would later become a cult icon in his own right.
— Ladytron Fan Account (@Lady_FanAccount) October 3, 2026
#booksky
— Bookshelfie ⭐️ (@bookshelfie.bsky.social) October 9, 2026 at 8:21 PM
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Welcome to Wonderland ๐งธ๐ Jelena Ostapenko is surrounded by so much love from the Chinese fans ๐ฅน #ChinaOpen https://t.co/A9ZMnXXo89
— China Open (@ChinaOpen) October 5, 2026
When in doubt, wear red ❤️ Iga ลwiฤ tek at the Wuhan Player Party ๐ #DongfengVoyahWuhanOpen https://t.co/EMy4CDr0XZ
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 11, 2026
THIS ballstriking from Zheng Qinwen ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐จ #ChinaOpen | @BetMGM https://t.co/FSEfwhDiO7
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 10, 2026

It’s finally happening!! ๐ต๐ญAlex Eala meets her idol, THE legend & icon ๐ท๐บMaria Sharapova ๐๐ https://t.co/FaVmr0v1Py
— K ๐ซ (@keiIuchi) October 6, 2026
WE FINALLY HAVE THEIR UPDATED PHOTO!! ๐๐ ๐ท๐บMaria Sharapova ๐ค ๐ต๐ญAlex Eala https://t.co/k2xRsoCCFO
— K ๐ซ (@keiIuchi) October 7, 2026

*2020-26 WTA SINGLES TITLES*
26 - 1/2/8/6/5/3/1 = Iga Swiatek
19 - 3/2/0/3/4/4/3 = Aryna Sabalenka
12 - 1/0/1/2/3/3/2 = Elena Rybakina
11 - 0/1/0/4/3/2/1 = Coco Gauff
10 - 0/0/1/2/2/3/2 = Jessie Pegula
9 - 0/3/2/2/1/0/1 = Barbora Krejcikova
8 - 1/5/2 = Ash Barty (ret.)
7 - 2/1/0/1/0/1/2 = Elina Svitolina
6 - 0/0/0/0/1/2/3 = Mirra Andreeva
6 - 0/1/1/2/0/2/0 = Belinda Bencic
6 - 0/1/1/1/0/2/1 = Leylah Fernandez
6 - 0/2/2/0/2/0/0 = Dasha Kasatkina
6 - 0/0/1/1/1/2/1 = Madison Keys
6 - 0/1/1/1/2/1/0 = Alona Ostapenko
6 - 0/0/0/2/3/0/1 = ZHENG QINWEN
*MOST WTA FINALS in 2026*
5 - MIRRA ANDREEVA (3-2)
5 - Elena Rybakina (3-2)
5 - Aryna Sabalenka (3-2)
5 - Jessie Pegula (2-3)
4 - Karolina Muchova (2-2)
3 - Marta Kostyuk (2-1)
3 - Elina Svitolina (2-1)
3 - Coco Gauff (1-2)
3 - Victoria Mboko (0-3)
*MOST WTA SF in 2026*
8 - Jessie Pegula (5-3)
7 - Coco Gauff (3-4)
7 - Elina Svitolina (3-4)
6 - MIRRA ANDREEVA (5-1)
6 - Elena Rybakina (5-1)
6 - Aryna Sabalenka (5-1)
6 - Karolina Muchova (4-2)
5 - Marta Kostyuk (3-2)
5 - Iva Jovic (2-3)
*2026 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
7 - Katerina Siniakova
6 - Taylor Townsend
5 - GABY DABROWSKI
5 - LUISA STEFANI
4 - Zhang Shuai
3 - Maia Lumsden
3 - Aldila Sutjiadi
[duos]
5...Siniakova/Townsend
5...DABROWSKI/STEFANI
2...Dart/Lumsden
2...Guo/Mladneovic
2...Routliffe/Sutjiadi
2...Siniakova/Zhang
[2020-26 - individuals]
32 - Katerina Siniakova (1/6/6/3/5/4/7)
17 - Taylor Townsend (1/0/0/3/3/4/6)
17 - LUISA STEFANI (1/1/2/3/1/4/5)
16 - GABY DABROWSKI (0/1/3/2/2/3/5)
15 - Barbora Krejcikova (1/5/3/4/1/1/0)
15 - Elise Mertens (1/4/2/2/3/2/1)
14 - Nicole Melichar-Martinez (2/2/2/0/3/3/2)
14 - Erin Routliffe (0/1/1/3/3/4/2)
[2020-26 - duos]
14..Krejcikova/Siniakova (1/5/3/3/1/1/0)
9...Errani/Paolini (0/0/0/1/4/4/0)
8...Aoyama/Shibahara (1/5/0/2/0/0/0)
8...Siniakova/Townsend (0/0/0/0/2/1/5)
7...Dabrowski/Routliffe (0/0/0/2/2/3/0)
7...DABROWSKI/STEFANI (0/1/1/0/0/0/5)
7...Siegemund/Zvonareva (1/0/2/4/0/0/0)
*2026 WTA DOUBLES FINALS*
8 (7-1) = KATERINA SINIAKOVA
6 (6-0) = Taylor Townsend
6 (5-1) = GABY DABROWSKI
6 (5-1) = LUISA STEFANI
6 (3-3) = Maia Lumsden
6 (4-2) = ZHANG SHUAI
5 (2-3) = Nicole Melichar-Martinez
[2026 finals - duos]
6...DABROWSKI/STEFANI (5-1)
5...Siniakova/Townsend (5-0)
4...Danilina/Krunic (1-3)
3...SINIAKOVA/ZHANG (2-1)
3...Maleckova/Skoch (1-2)


At this point, there is no ambiguity about what just happened: Trump has stabbed the Ukrainian nation in the back in exchange for a shipment of diesel that would be a roughly 17 hour supply for the US market. It shows how easily Trump is manipulated by Putin, Xi and other dangerous dictators.
— Scott Horton (@robertscotthorton.bsky.social) October 10, 2026 at 5:31 PM
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@jackohman.bsky.social in solidarity with @anntelnaes.bsky.social a series of protest cartoons by artists who supported Ann when she resigned from WaPo
— paulpro (@mariopro.bsky.social) October 8, 2026 at 8:30 AM
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republicans used to complain about the violence in gangster rap and now they want to livestream an execution
— derek guy (@dieworkwear.bsky.social) October 9, 2026 at 8:56 PM

On October 10, 1980, the arcade game ‘Pac-Man’ was released in North America https://t.co/oho5vzcdl9
— RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) October 10, 2026

Michael Jackson
— EvelDick (@EvelDick) October 6, 2026

On October 4, 1950, Snoopy made his debut in the 'Peanuts' comic strip https://t.co/uVmKsQziLT
— RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) October 4, 2026

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you’re not obligated to justify your choice of music, books, television, or films to anyone.
— The Whimsical Muse (@whimsicalmuse.bsky.social) October 8, 2026 at 1:36 PM









