American tennis star Amanda Anisimova seized the spotlight in Beijing on October 5, 2025, as she powered her way to the WTA 1000 China Open title with a thrilling 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Czech prodigy Linda Noskova. In a match that had the crowd on the edge of their seats for nearly two hours, Anisimova showcased both her explosive talent and her newfound resilience, capturing her second WTA 1000 trophy of the season and the fourth singles title of her blossoming career.
The final began with Anisimova, seeded third, firing on all cylinders. She blitzed through the opening set in just 23 minutes, converting all three break points and leaving Noskova searching for answers. But tennis, as we know, rarely follows a script. Noskova, just 20 years old and playing in her first WTA 1000 final, flipped the momentum in the second set. She broke Anisimova’s serve right out of the gate and maintained her composure to take the set 6-2, forcing a decider and signaling she wasn’t about to go quietly.
“It was a super tough match, I really had to dig deep,” Anisimova admitted in her post-match press conference. The American’s ability to regroup in the third set proved decisive. With the score tied at 2-2, Anisimova found another gear, rattling off the last four games. She sealed the championship with a signature backhand winner down the line—a shot that’s quickly becoming her trademark—before collapsing onto her back in celebration. The final lasted one hour and 46 minutes, a testament to the high stakes and intensity on display.
Anisimova’s journey to the trophy was anything but smooth sailing. She had to battle through a tough draw, dispatching Katie Boulter and China’s own Zhang Shuai—surviving a marathon tiebreak in the process—before staging back-to-back comeback wins over Karolina Muchova and Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. But it was her semi-final showdown with defending champion Coco Gauff that truly set the tone. Anisimova stunned Gauff, the No. 2 seed, in a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory that lasted just 58 minutes, ending her compatriot’s title defense and announcing herself as the player to beat in Beijing.
“It’s been quite a few weeks for me, for sure,” Anisimova reflected. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself. I think I can take a lot of positives, and look at it as a lot of progress for me, just figuring out ways to face certain challenges, and push myself in moments when it feels like I can’t go any further.”
Noskova’s run to the final was equally compelling. The young Czech saved three match points in a dramatic semi-final against World No. 5 Jessica Pegula, eventually prevailing in a tense match tiebreak after more than two and a half hours. That victory made her the youngest Czech player to reach a WTA 1000 final since the format’s introduction in 2009. Her performance in Beijing propelled her to a career-best No. 17 in the world rankings and established her as the new Czech No. 1, overtaking Karolina Muchova. Noskova also leaped five spots to No. 15 in the Race to the WTA Finals, putting her within striking distance of a Top 8 finish if she can deliver another deep run in Wuhan next week.
“I want to congratulate Linda,” Anisimova said during the trophy ceremony. “You’ve been playing amazing, and you’re still so young, so I’m sure we’ll have a lot more finals to play in. I’m excited to see you progress and see how your career goes. I’m sure it’ll be really great, so congratulations to you and your team.”
For Anisimova, this triumph is the latest chapter in a remarkable season. Runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open earlier this year, she now sits at No. 4 in the world rankings and has overtaken Gauff for the No. 3 spot in the Race to the WTA Finals. She also joins an elite club as the third American woman to win the China Open, following in the footsteps of Serena Williams (2004, 2013) and Gauff (2024). Notably, Anisimova is the first American to capture multiple WTA 1000 titles in a single season since Williams in 2015.
Her stats from Beijing are eye-popping: Anisimova finished the tournament with 187 winners, a figure surpassed this season only by Clara Tauson at a WTA 1000 event. She notched three Top 15 wins and four victories over players ranked inside the Top 30, underscoring her consistency and dominance throughout the week.
“To get the win today has been really special,” Anisimova told the crowd. “Thank you [to my team] for sharing that with me—you guys are the best. I’m excited for a lot more and, hopefully, we can keep going. Also, to my family back home, I’m sure you’re watching right now. I’m excited to talk to you guys and see you soon. I love you. And to my nephews, who I think might be watching—hi Jackson, Kylo, I love you guys.”
The singles final wasn’t the only headline-grabber in Beijing. Earlier in the day, Italy’s Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini etched their names in the record books by becoming the first pair to successfully defend the China Open doubles title. The Italian duo rallied from a set down to defeat Japan’s Miyu Kato and Hungary’s Fanny Stollar, 6-7(1), 6-3, [10-2], in a fiercely contested final lasting an hour and 34 minutes.
Errani and Paolini’s victory marks their third WTA 1000 doubles title of the season and their fourth overall in 2025, adding to previous triumphs in Doha and Rome. The pair’s partnership has been nothing short of golden—since the start of 2024, they’ve captured a Grand Slam title, an Olympic Gold medal, and five WTA 1000 trophies together. Paolini, who has also maintained a full singles schedule, now boasts ten career WTA doubles titles, nine of them alongside Errani.
“Jasmine, I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to play with her,” Errani said during the trophy presentation. “I know how difficult it is to play singles and doubles, so I appreciate her commitment a lot. And thanks of course to the crowd. It was amazing to play on this court in front of a lot of people. Thanks for staying for so many matches and giving us a lot of love.”
With this win, Errani reaches a staggering 36 career WTA doubles titles, including six Grand Slam crowns and Olympic Gold. Both Errani and Paolini will hold steady at No. 5 in the doubles rankings and have already secured their places at the WTA Finals in Riyadh next month. For Kato and Stollar, the Beijing run was a surprise success, with both players set for significant jumps in the world rankings.
As the tour shifts to Wuhan for the season’s final WTA 1000 event, all eyes will be on Anisimova and Noskova to see if they can maintain their form. And with the WTA Finals in Riyadh looming, the women’s game looks set for a dramatic finish to a captivating season.
