Zhang Shuai's ranking rises again, bringing a chance for revenge, with notable partners lined up for the 2026 season warm-up tournaments.

Successfully advancing through the first round at the Limoges 125 event, Zhang Shuai drew widespread attention once more.

After her early departure in Angers, seeing Zhang face Stefannini in the Limoges opener raised concerns about a difficult debut. Zhang has been competing nonstop lately, so while her ability is solid, questions about her endurance persist—after all, she is 36, not a teenage girl of 16.

However, once the two officially faced off, all external worries quickly vanished.

In the match against Stefannini, Zhang Shuai’s tactic was straightforward: minimize long rallies and finish points quickly.

Facing Stefannini’s attempt to wear her down by prolonging rallies, Zhang smashed that plan with aggressive offense, easily taking the first set 6-2 without much effort.

With the first set secured and confidence soaring, Stefannini seemed either stunned or resigned, allowing Zhang to seize control early in the second set.

To avoid any prolonged struggle, Zhang intensified her attack and closed out the second set 6-2, ending the match comfortably and decisively.

Seeing Zhang transition from Angers to Limoges and achieve a commanding victory against a strong player like Stefannini in the first round eased many pre-match concerns about her stamina, raising expectations for her upcoming matches.

After defeating Stefannini, Zhang not only earned 1,740 euros in prize money but also gained 15 ranking points, boosting her world ranking to 81, just one step away from breaking into the top 70.

However, the second round will pose a significant challenge as Zhang faces Fredsam in what promises to be a true revenge match.

In 2023, when Zhang met Fredsam in Strasbourg, she was in poor form and suffered a humiliating straight-sets defeat, losing 12 consecutive games.

Now meeting again in the second round at Limoges, many fans call this a "perfect revenge opportunity," hoping Zhang can seize the chance for sweet retribution.

The strong confidence in Zhang today mainly stems from the fact that her previous loss to Fredsam was due to her extremely poor state amid a losing streak. Having now overcome that slump, Zhang’s form and confidence are far superior to two years ago. With a chance to break into the top 70 and the motivation of revenge, it’s clear how driven Zhang is against Fredsam.

Currently, fans and netizens eagerly await news of Zhang’s successful revenge, ready to celebrate her achievement.

As everyone closely follows Zhang’s court performance, the announcement of her new season’s participation plan, especially her doubles partners, has some fans commenting, "Zhang’s great relationships really make others envious."

Besides competing in both singles and doubles at the Limoges 125 event, Zhang’s schedule for the new season includes Brisbane and Adelaide 500 tournaments, where she continues to demonstrate her tireless work ethic by entering both singles and doubles draws.

Her doubles partners in the warm-up tournaments before the Australian Open, like her partner at the Australian Open, Mertens, are all highly accomplished players.

In Brisbane, her doubles partner Samsonova is strong in both singles and doubles, holding titles in 1000 and 500 level doubles events, though her doubles record is not as extensive as Zhang’s. In Adelaide, her partner Siniakova is a leading figure in doubles among active players; simply being a "career doubles Grand Slam winner" speaks volumes about the Czech star’s caliber.

Partnering with such top players in doubles, Zhang’s intense participation clearly aims to maintain her form and achieve better results through collaboration with skilled teammates.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)