The final few months of the 2025 WTA Tour season are approaching, and the penultimate WTA 1000 tournament of the season is set to get underway this week.
Since the event first held a women’s singles tournament back in 2004, the China Open has become a popular stop on the tennis calendar, with an array of memorable champions crowned inside the Beijing National Tennis Center.
Twelve months ago, it was Coco Gauff who reigned supreme at the WTA 1000 tournament, downing Karolina Muchova in the final to kickstart a stunning end to her 2024 season; here, we make our predictions for who will triumph in 2025.
First Quarter
Projected Q/F: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (5) Jessica Pegula
Back in top form this summer — and fresh off her Korea Open triumph — Swiatek will be determined to win back the title she won in 2023, having been provisionally suspended for her 2025 title defence.
A likely opener against Yulia Putintseva should be an early sighter for the Pole, who could then face tests from 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya and 16th seed Emma Navarro if she wishes to reach the last eight.
If Swiatek does reach the quarter-final, she could well face fifth seed Pegula, one of the few players to forge a significant rivalry versus the world No 2.
However, Pegula could face a tough early test versus 30th seed Emma Raducanu in round three, before a potential fourth round versus 12th seed Naomi Osaka.
The 2019 champion in Beijing, Osaka will be looking to build on the momentum she built during a resurgent hard-court summer.
Prediction: Swiatek def Osaka
Second Quarter
Projected Q/F: (4) Mirra Andreeva vs (7) Zheng Qinwen
2025 has not gone the way Chinese star Qinwen would have wanted it to, and she now faces a huge chunk of ranking points to defend this Asian swing after her recent surgery.
Returning at the event she was a semi-finalist at in 2024, the seventh seed could take on 26th seed Linda Noskova in the third round, before a round four against either 10th seed Clara Tauson or 21st seed Victoria Mboko — two of the most improved players on tour this year.
All that could lead to a quarter-final against fourth seed Andreeva, in what would be a rematch of a last eight clash from twelve months ago.
After a stunning spring and solid French Open and Wimbledon campaigns, the 18-year-old’s momentum has somewhat cooled, and 29th seed Dayana Yastremska could prove a stumbling block in round three.
However, should Andreeva make it through that, the rest of her mini-section looks comfortable, with out-of-form 14th seed Daria Kasatkina the highest-ranked player she can face before the quarter-final.
Prediction: Andreeva def Tauson
Third Quarter
Projected Q/F: (6) Jasmine Paolini vs (3) Amanda Anisimova
Fresh off her latest Billie Jean King Cup heroics in Shenzhen, can Paolini end what has been an up-and-down season on a high — and secure her WTA Finals spot?
The Italian’s hopes have certainly been boosted by a kind mini-section in Beijing, with the sixth seed facing Anastasija Sevastova or Kimberly Birrell in round two.
Paolini’s projected pathway of 27th seed Sofia Kenin and then 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova — with 11th seed Elina Svitolina having withdrawn — seems very winnable, though Anisimova could prove a stern quarter-final test.
Anisimova has not been in action since her US Open final loss, but after rebounding well from her defeat in the Wimbledon final, the 24-year-old will likely be back and ready to play well in Beijing.
A potential fourth-round against 13th seed Muchova or 18th seed Paula Badosa, herself a semi-finalist last year, will likely be the American’s toughest test in her mission to reach at least the last eight.
Prediction: Anisimova def Paolini
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Fourth Quarter
Projected Q/F: (8) Elena Rybakina vs (2) Coco Gauff
The final quarter will likely see all eyes on world No 3 and defending champion Gauff, with many intrigued to see how the American fares following a difficult summer with her serve.
It is hard to know what to expect from Gauff’s game, and her draw is not the easiest early on, though she has a strong record against 25th seed Leylah Fernandez — her projected round-three opponent.
However, she could then face a tricky fourth round against either 15th seed Belinda Bencic or 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko, two women she has competitive head-to-heads against.
On paper, it should be eighth seed Rybakina awaiting in the last eight, though the Kazakh herself has not had an easy time on court throughout 2025.
Rybakina could have an early sighter against 32nd seed Iva Jovic, before a potential round-four clash against ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, the recent Seoul runner-up and one of the most solid players of the year.
Prediction: Alexandrova def Bencic
Semi-final prediction
Swiatek def Andreeva
Anisimova def Alexandrova
Final prediction
Swiatek def Anisimova
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The post WTA China Open predictions: Swiatek’s resurgence, Gauff’s title defence, Anisimova returns appeared first on Tennis365.
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