Withdrawing from a 500-level main draw to enter a 250-level qualifier? Wang Xinyu's move sparks controversy.

The biggest highlight of this week's women's tour must be the Miami Open. The tournament has now crowned its women's singles champion, with top seed Aryna Sabalenka defeating local star Coco Gauff in the final with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Along with claiming 1000 points and $1.15 million in prize money, she also achieved her first back-to-back titles in the North American Sunshine Double.

This Miami women's singles title is Sabalenka's 11th career 1000-level trophy. She is currently on a 12-match winning streak and has successfully defended her Miami Open title.

With a record of 23 wins and 1 loss, Sabalenka's performance in the 2026 season has been nearly perfect. From getting engaged earlier this month, saving match points to win Indian Wells, to successfully defending her Miami title, Sabalenka's only regret might be her loss in this year's Australian Open final. Of course, it's hard to achieve perfection in everything, and Sabalenka's next focus will be on the remaining major tournaments this season.

However, our focus today is not on the eventual women's singles champion, but on Chinese player Wang Xinyu, who exited in the second round after a first-round bye at this event. This player has been in a slump recently, suffering consecutive first-match losses in Austin, Indian Wells, and Miami, and is currently caught in a losing streak.

It's worth noting that Wang Xinyu's performance earlier this year was quite promising. She reached the women's singles final in Auckland, ultimately losing to veteran Elina Svitolina. Later, at the Australian Open, she set her personal best record at Melbourne Park by successively defeating Kalinina, Ostapenko, and Noskova to advance to the fourth round, where she eventually lost to Anisimova.

As Zheng Qinwen struggles with injury recovery issues, Wang Xinyu originally had the potential to replace Zheng as China's top-ranked player. However, her consecutive losses make it difficult for her to consistently improve her world ranking. Currently, Wang Xinyu holds 1383 world ranking points and is ranked 34th globally.

Regarding her fluctuating performance, Wang Xinyu herself admitted that when she holds expectations, she often ends up disappointed. Conversely, approaching matches with a more relaxed mindset sometimes brings unexpected positive results.

As the Miami Open concludes, the upcoming tournament schedules for several Chinese players have been confirmed. Wang Xinyu withdrew from the upcoming WTA500 women's singles main draw and only entered the WTA250 Lyon women's singles qualifier scheduled for April. This decision has surprised many fans.

Nevertheless, each player has their own considerations when choosing tournaments. The upcoming highlight of the tour will undoubtedly be the start of the clay season. Charleston, as a green clay event, offers limited space for players to adapt and adjust. Participating in a lower-level tournament when one's form is poor, while also better acclimating to the rhythm of clay courts, can be a reasonable arrangement.

We hope Wang Xinyu can soon break free from her losing streak and perform excellently in this year's clay season!Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie