Anna Kalinskaya Faces a Double Challenge in China

In Beijing, Anna Kalinskaya and Qinwen Zheng face off with their head-to-head record perfectly even. The two have faced each other twice, with one win apiece. Their first match took place in 2022 on the hard courts of Guadalajara. On that occasion, Kalinskaya prevailed in two sets, giving the Chinese player no chance. Zheng got her revenge in January 2024 at the Australian Open, winning in three sets after losing the first set. Their head-to-head record thus tells the story of a closely contested rivalry: 1-1 in direct matches, with both matches played on hard courts. The most recent encounter went Zheng’s way, as she managed to defeat Kalinskaya in Melbourne and secure victory in their most recent matchup.

Kalinskaya heads into this tournament after a season full of promise. The Russian reached the round of 16 at the US Open, confirming her progress over the course of the year before heading to Asia for the final stretch of the season. The China Open in Beijing, scheduled for September 30 through October 11, represents one of her last major opportunities this season to earn important points in the WTA rankings.

Zheng, for her part, enters her home tournament with the advantage of playing in front of her home crowd and the confidence of being one of the most anticipated stars on the global tennis scene. The Chinese player is also among the most successful tennis players financially: according to the rankings published by Forbes, Zheng earned a total of $22.6 million over the past year, a figure that places her seventh on the global list of the richest tennis players, confirming the significant influence she has gained on the tour.

For Kalinskaya, on the other hand, the 2026 season has been marked by ups and downs. After withdrawing from the WTA 500 tournament in Berlin due to an injury, the Russian managed to bounce back, showing encouraging signs, culminating in a strong run at the US Open. Following the conclusion of her Asian tour in Beijing, her schedule also includes the Wuhan Open, set for October 12–18: another WTA 1000 event that will mark the final tournament of this category in the 2026 season, making her match against Zheng in the Chinese capital even more significant in terms of the rankings.