Tennis star Zhang Shuai, an Australian Open quarter-finalist in 2023, had lost 24 matches in a row before finally tasting victory at the Beijing WTA 1000 event…see more

A tennis player who embarked on a remarkable losing streak has secured her third straight victory to reach the latter stages of her home tournament on Sunday.

Her previous victory had come way back in January 2023 when she beat Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-2 at the WTA 250 Lyon Open. Prior to that, she made it to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open before bowing out to Karolina Pliskova and was ranked 22nd in the world.

Now ranked 595th in the world in singles, the 35-year-old finally ended her miserable 20-month wait for a win when she stepped back onto the court in China.

Many would have expected her fairytale in Beijing to end against Greet Minnen, but the veteran produced a mighty performance to down the Belgian 6-2, 6-3, playing some superb tennis in the process.