Aryna Sabalenka, the Belarusian tennis player ranked second in the world, has claimed her third WTA 1000 title in Wuhan, equating a remarkable achievement by American tennis legend Serena Williams.
Sabalenka becomes only the second player after Williams to win a WTA 1000 tournament three times in a row. She previously triumphed in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019; the event had been paused until this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Serena Williams achieved the feat three consecutive times at the Miami Open from 2013 to 2015.
Recently, Sabalenka surpassed Polish player Iga Swiatek (current world number one) in the live standings of the WTA Championship race, just weeks before the end of the season.
