We’re down to the final eight at the Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open, a shorter-than-usual WTA 1000 tournament (didn’t it just start?) and the final 1000-level event of 2025.

There’s plenty on the line as we enter the weekend: the final three spots in the WTA Finals are still up for grabs, and it’s one last opportunity to take home a signature title (Finals aside) and snag 1,000 ranking points.

There are plenty of familiar faces in the quarterfinals, including six players who have won WTA 1000 titles already. But there are also a couple of surprises, as always, who have the potential to create some chaos as we enter the home stretch of the tournament.

Here’s a breakdown of the Wuhan Open quarterfinalists, and who they’ll need to go through to get to the semis. 

The Final 8 in Wuhan
Aryna Sabalenka [1]

Might as well call her the queen of Wuhan.

It was a fitting tournament for the World No. 1 to return to the Hologic WTA Tour post-US Open, as she’s been dominant here in ways we’ve rarely ever seen.

The three-time defending champion came into Wuhan with a 17-0 all-time record, and the tournament favorite has looked the part this week. She’s improved to 19-0 here with wins over Rebecca Sramkova — she did need three sets to win that one — and 16th seed Liudmila Samsonova, and appears to be in form after some much-needed R&R in Greece.

Elena Rybakina [8]

Needing to pick up wins to quality for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Rybakina has has a productive week thus far following an earlier-than-expected exit in Beijing. After beating Jaqueline Cristian in her opening match, the World No. 9 had a rather easy time with Linda Noskova, who was coming off a run to the final at the China Open.

Rybakina currently trails Jasmine Paolini, who’s No. 8 on the WTA Finals leaderboard, by a slim margin. 

Katerina Siniakova

The top seeds have only needed two wins to get to this point.

Siniakova, on the other hand, has already gotten five.

The top-ranked doubles player in the world, ranked 62nd in singles, came through qualifying to reach the quarterfinals. After defeating American Caty McNally and China’s Wang Yafan to get into the main draw, the 29-year-old upset 15th-seeded Diana Shnaider before taking out Maya Joint and Iva Jovic.

She’s yet to drop a set in Wuhan, and she’s into her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2018. 

Jessica Pegula [6]

“I can’t remember the last time I played two sets.”

We love the self-awareness from Pegula, who has been continually tested and pushed to the limit during the Asian swing.

As for her last straight setter, we can help: It was on Sept. 27, a 6-0, 6-3 win over Ajla Tomljanovic in Beijing. Since then, the American has played a ridiculous six three setters, winning five of them. (The lone loss, to Noskova in the China Open semis, ended in a heartbreaking 8-6 tiebreak.)

She narrowly escaped her first match against countrywoman Hailey Baptiste, saving six match points and eking out the deciding tiebreaker 8-6. Her second match wasn’t quite as excruciating, but certainly no walk in the park. She came back from 5-2 down in the opening set to take it, then dropped the next one before winning yet another third set. 

The World No. 5 is into the Wuhan quarterfinals for the first time, and if she wins the title she’ll become the sixth player to qualify for the WTA Finals.

Laura Siegemund

What a week for the German veteran, 37, who’s into the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time in her career. (Hard to believe, considering she’s made the quarters of both the French Open and Wimbledon.)

After beating Dayana Yastremska in the first round — Yastremska retired down 4-1 in the third set — the World No. 57 upset World No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, her third Top 10 win of 2025. On Thursday against Magdalena Frech, Siegemund was on the ropes twice. She came back from 4-1 down in both the first and second sets to win 6-4, 7-6 (2).

Siegemund is also into the doubles quarterfinal, partnering with Fanny Stollar. (The pair upset Andreeva and Shnaider in the the third round, a double whammy for Siegemund over Andreeva.)

Coco Gauff [3]

The American is into her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal in as many weeks, and has gotten to the final eight in Wuhan with ease. She dropped just one game in her dominant effort against Moyuka Uchijima, and then followed it up with a routine win over the ageless wonder Zhang Shuai.

Already qualified for the WTA Finals, and admittedly feeling less pressure post-Slam season, the 21-year-old should be loose and rested for her quarterfinal match. 

Jasmine Paolini [7]

Clinging to the No. 8 spot on the WTA Finals leaderboard, the Italian has taken care of business this week with three-set wins over Yuan Yue and 10th-seeded Clara Tauson, who retired trailing 3-1 in the third set. (Kudos to Paolini, always empathetic and caring, for being a great sport after the match.)

A year after making two Grand Slam finals, the 29-year-old has matched her career-high win total (40) from last year. She’ll need a few more to secure her spot in Riyadh. (It is worth nothing that she’s already punched her ticket in the WTA Finals doubles field, alongside partner and countrywoman Sara Errani.)

Iga Swiatek [2]

Swiatek just won her 125th match at a WTA 1000 tournament. 125! We had to double check — and then triple check — that stat because it’s so absurd. (Yeah, she’s 24…). But alas, it’s true, a testament to how incredibly dominant she’s been over her relatively young career.

But back to Wuhan … the six-time Grand Slam champion, playing here for the first time, dropped just two games in her opening-round win over Marie Bouzkova, and though she won Thursday’s match in straights as well, it wasn’t easy. She needed a tiebreak to win the first set over Belinda Bencic, who served for it at 5-4, before ultimately prevailing 7-6 (2), 6-4 in 2 hours and 8 minutes.

She’s now into the 25th WTA 1000 quarterfinal of her career.

The Matches
Aryna Sabalenka [1] vs. Elena Rybakina [8]

These two have history. It’s round 13 for the Grand Slam champions and perennial Top 10 players. 

Sabalenka owns a 7-5 advantage in their head to head, and they’ve split their last six meetings. Rybakina won the most previous matchup, a 6-1, 6-4 upset this summer in Cincinnati. Can she pull off another upset against the greatest player in this tournament’s history?

Katerina Siniakova vs. Jessica Pegula [6]

Both of these players have played a lot of tennis recently. Siniakova came through qualifying to get here, and Pegula has played what feels like 50 straight grueling three setters. Who has more left in the tank?

Pegula, No. 6 in the PIF WTA Rankings, is the obvious favorite, especially considering she’s won four of their five previous matchups. They played once this year, a 6-2, 6-3 Pegula win on grass in Bad Homburg. 

Laura Siegemund vs. Coco Gauff [3]

Gauff defeated Shuai, some 15 years her senior in the third round. Now she’ll play an even older player in 37-year-old Siegemund. It’s an interesting observation — and it speaks to the incredible longevity that we see on tour now — but it doesn’t say a whole lot about this particular match, especially considering Siegemund came from behind to beat 18-year-old Andreeva earlier this week.

What is relevant, though, is the fact that Gauff hasn’t spent much time on court this week, dropping just six games in two matches, and no woman has won more matches in China over the past three years.

They’ve split their two career meetings, the most recent of which was at the US Open two years ago. Gauff won that first-round match in three sets. (Their other match, in Auckland in 2020, also went the distance.)

Jasmine Paolini [7] vs. Iga Swiatek [2]

Needing a win to keep pace on the WTA Finals leaderboard, this is likely the last player Paolini wants to see on the other side of the net. Swiatek has utterly dominated the Italian in her career, winning all six of their matchups and dropping just one set in the process. Two of those wins have come this year, the most recent of which was a 7-5, 6-4 victory for Swiatek in the Cincinnati final this summer.