Wuhan Open 2024: 5 dark horses for the women's singles title ft. Emma Navarro, Paula Badosa
Paula Badosa and Emma Navarro are among the dark horses at the Wuhan Open, The seventh edition of the WTA 1000 event will commence on October 7 and the main draw has been released. Aryna Sabalenka won the last two editions of the tournament and she is the top seed this year.
The Belarusian has been in scintillating form lately and she will be a heavy favorite to win. Second seed Coco Gauff will play in the final of the China Open and she will be another favorite to win, as will second seed Jessica Pegula. Fifth seed Zheng Qinwen has also been in good form and recently reached the semifinals of the China Open.
Apart from the aforementioned players, there are a few more competitors who may not be considered heavy favorites to win but they are capable of going all the way given some of their performances in 2024.
On that note, let us take a look at five dark horses to win the Wuhan Open 2024.
#5. Amanda Anisimova
Amanda Anisimova has produced some pretty good performances in recent months, most notably reaching the final of the Canadian Open, where she beat the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Navarro, and Daria Kasatkina. She also reached the quarterfinals of the Citi Open and most recently, the fourth round of the China Open, where she put up a fight against Zheng Qinwen.
Anisimova's draw in Wuhan may not be the easiest as her potential opponents in the first three rounds include Marta Kostyuk and Coco Gauff. However, if the 23-year-old is at her best, she is capable of giving both players a run for their money and going deep in the WTA 1000 event.
#4. Beatriz Haddad Maia
Haddad Maia is seeded ninth at the Wuhan Open and there is a fair chance of her having a good run given some of her recent performances. In recent weeks, the Brazilian reached the quarterfinals of the US Open and won the Korea Open after beating Daria Kasatkina in the final.
Haddad Maia will face a tough opponent in Madison Keys in the first round in Wuhan, just days after losing to the American in the third round of the China Open. If the Brazilian beats Keys, her next tough fixture could come in the Round of 16 as she could be up against sixth seed Emma Navarro. If she beats Navarro, Haddad Maia will reach only her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal in 2024.
#3. Jasmine Paolini
Third seed Jasmine Paolini has produced some terrific performances so far this season, reaching two Grand Slam finals at the French Open and Wimbledon, and winning her maiden WTA 1000 singles title in Dubai.
The Italian has yet to reach a singles quarterfinal since her run to the Wimbledon final. She is entering the Wuhan Open after losing in the third round of the China Open. Paolini will face either a qualifier or Yuan Yue in the second round of the WTA 1000 event and victory could set up a potential third-round encounter against 16th seed Mirra Andreeva.
If the Italian reaches the quarterfinals of the Wuhan Open, her potential opponents could be Karolina Muchova, fifth seed Zheng Qinwen and 12th seed Diana Shnaider.
#2. Emma Navarro
Till now, Emma Navarro has produced some impressive performances this season, that helped her enter the Top 10 of the WTA rankings. The 23-year-old reached the semifinals of the US Open and Canadian Open, and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. However, her recent performances have been underwhelming as she lost in the second round of the China Open and the quarterfinals of a WTA 125 event in Hong Kong.
Despite her recent shortcomings, Navarro is capable of having a good run in Wuhan, given the quality of tennis she can produce at her best. The 23-year-old is seeded sixth at the WTA 1000 event and she will face either a qualifier or Magdalena Frech in the second round.
Navarro's potential third-round opponents include Beatriz Hadad Maia and Madison Keys, two tough players but ones she can beat on her day. If the World No. 8 reaches the quarterfinals, she could have another tough fixture as her opponent could be Aryna Sabalenka.
The American has beaten the Belarusian on hard courts before in Indian Wells and if she is able to replicate her performances from the US Open, there may be a chance of her contending for the title in Wuhan.
#1. Paula Badosa
Paula Badosa has had a period of resurgence in recent months, that has seen her produce some impressive performances, that include winning the Citi Open, reaching the semifinals of two WTA 1000 events in Cincinnati and Beijing, and making it to the quarterfinals of the US Open.
Paula Badosa will be expected to have a good run in Wuhan, where she is the 14th seed. The Spaniard will face Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round and a victory would see her face either Wang Xinyu or Caroline Dolehide in the second round.
Paula Badosa's most likely opponent in the third round could be Jessica Pegula, who she thrashed 6-4, 6-0 in Beijing. The 26-year-old's potential quarterfinal opponents include seventh seed Barbora Krejcikova and tenth seed Anna Kalinskaya, neither of whom have been in the best of forms lately.
Given Paula Badosa's draw and her recent form, it won't be much of a surprise if she goes all the way to the finals in Wuhan.