From Washington to Palermo, last week, the women's doubles arena showcased a touch of Chinese red.

In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Li Ting and Sun Tiantian teamed up in women's doubles, overcoming multiple seeded players to win the first Olympic gold medal for Chinese women's tennis in this category. At that moment, it was unlikely that many anticipated this would be the start of a Grand Slam journey for Chinese female tennis players in women's doubles.

Subsequently, Zheng Jie, Yan Zi, Bei Bei, and Zhang Shuai all claimed women's doubles titles at the four Grand Slam tournaments, achieving a Grand Slam in women's doubles. For a long time, women's doubles has been the face of Chinese tennis. Last week, two Chinese female tennis players achieved remarkable results in the tour and challenge events, marking new milestones in their careers. So, who are these two Chinese female tennis players? Let this article take you on a journey to find out.

Speaking of Zhang Shuai, many fans are familiar with her. She once ended a streak of 14 consecutive first-round exits in Grand Slam singles, achieving a full set of 16 strong finishes in Grand Slam events; furthermore, in the tour, she also broke a record of 24 consecutive losses, making a comeback by reaching the quarterfinals at the WTA 1000 China Open. This year, she has also won two challenge tournament titles, climbing nearly a hundred places in the world rankings. Moreover, Zhang Shuai has also performed well in doubles. Prior to last week, she had reached the finals of tour doubles events three times but unfortunately did not secure a title.

Last week, she partnered with American player Townsend as the second seed at the WTA 500 Washington Open in women's doubles. In the first round, they delivered a solid performance, defeating the Spanish pair of Bouchard and American player Melichar, advancing smoothly; in the second round, facing the wildcard duo of Venus Williams and Barty, Zhang Shuai found herself pushed into a decisive set after winning the first. Fortunately, in the final set, they stabilized their performance, narrowly winning in a super tiebreak, and advanced with difficulty.

In the semifinals, facing Grand Slam champion, Kazakhstan's Rybakina, and British player Raducanu, Zhang Shuai's team advanced to the final without a fight as their opponents chose to retire while leading in the first set. Now, could she secure the championship this time?

In the final, against American players Kenin and Dolehide, Zhang Shuai delivered two solid performances, decisively defeating her opponents to claim her first women's doubles title of the 2025 season. Notably, Kenin and Dolehide had previously defeated the top seeds, A-Muhammad and Australian player Loutliff, in the semifinals, which further highlights Zhang Shuai's strength in doubles competition.

In comparison to Zhang Shuai, Feng Shuo's fame is undoubtedly much lesser. Last week, she and her partner, French player Kahino, appeared at the Palermo Challenge. It is noteworthy that the first tour title for the rising star Zheng Qinwen was won here. Moreover, she has also defended her title at this venue. The Feng Shuo duo advanced smoothly in the first round, defeating the Slovenian pair of K Novak and Eliaweitz.

In the second round, facing the Slovenian duo of Anshba and Prozorova, the Feng Shuo team lost the first set. Fortunately, in the following matches, she and her partner rallied to win two sets in a row, securing a hard-fought victory. In the semifinals, they dominated the Taiwanese sisters Zhuo Yicen and Zhuo Yixuan, advancing to the final and coming just one step away from the championship.

In the final, their opponents were the top seeds, Japan's Kobori Momoko and Shimizu Ayano. In this clash, the Feng Shuo duo fought fiercely with their opponents, ultimately winning the decisive set in a super tiebreak to claim the championship.

This is the highest-level women's doubles title Feng Shuo has achieved since entering the WTA professional tennis circuit. After winning, her immediate world ranking in women's doubles rose to 140, marking her highest ranking in women's doubles since entering professional tennis. Thus concludes today's tennis story; stay tuned for more tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)