There were four tour-level events last week – one ATP event in Shanghai and three WTA events in Zhengzhou, Hong Kong and Seoul – and for three of the winners, their titles have given them some very notable bumps up the rankings this week.
Hubert Hurkacz surprised Andrey Rublev to claim the Shanghai Masters title with a pulsating 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8) victory.
The Pole came out on top after a thrilling third set to claim victory in China, overcoming a first top-20 player at the tournament in the final.
Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz rises from No. 17 to No. 11 on the ATP rankings after capturing the second Masters 1000 title of his career in Shanghai, his first coming at Miami in 2021. It’s his highest ranking in more than six months, since he was No. 9 – his career-high – during the two weeks of Miami earlier this year.
“It was such a battle,” Hurkacz said. “Especially emotionally. I had a match point and Andrey hit an amazing serve and then he had a match point and then I had some match points. It was back and forth and such a tricky match. Andrey was playing some great shots. I was trying to respond. It was one of those matches and I kept believing and I am super happy with how I managed at the end.”
“It is such a big tournament and so much tradition. It is a huge event and I am really happy now.”
Zheng Qinwen won her second title of the season, beating Barbora Krejcikova in three sets to secure victory at the Zhengzhou Open. The 21-year-old said “the feeling was unexplainable” after claiming the win in front of her home fans.
The Chinese No. 1 came through 2-6 6-2 6-4 to topple the seventh seed in two hours and 26 minutes.
It is the second title of Zheng’s career following victory in Palermo earlier this season.
China’s Zheng Qinwen moves from No. 24 back to her career-high of No. 19 after capturing the biggest title of her career at the WTA 500 event in Zhengzhou.
Canada’s Leylah Fernandez came from a set down to defeat Katerina Siniakova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to win the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. The victory is the 21-year-old’s first Hologic WTA Tour title of the 2023 season and third of her career.
A US Open finalist two years ago, Fernandez entered the tournament ranked No.60 and she will leave Hong Kong with a return to the Top 50. With wins over Victoria Azarenka, Mirra Andreeva, Linda Fruhvirtova, Anna Blinkova and Siniakova, Fernandez captured her first title since winning 2022 Monterrey.
Top-seeded Jessica Pegula captured her fourth career title defeating Yuan Yue 6-2, 6-3 in the final in Seoul.
Pegula improves to 4-5 in finals after the win Sunday. She lost just one set all week and she ends her 3-week Asian swing 9-2 with a Tokyo final as well.
Pegula becomes the first American since Venus Williams in 2007 to win the title in Seoul.
“My mom is Korean and she was adopted from here so it’s really special to be able to win here,” Pegula said. “In the last few years, as my ranking has gone up, I’ve definitely felt so much more support from the fans, a lot more than I expected coming back here from five years ago. So it’s really special.”