Iga Swiatek has announced the end of her three-year partnership with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, saying the split was a mutual agreement. 

Wiktorowski, who joined Swiatek's team in 2022, helped her become the first Polish player to reach world number one and she has since spent 123 weeks at the top of the rankings.

Swiatek also won 19 of her 22 career titles and an Olympic bronze medal in Paris earlier this year with Wiktorowski, along with four grand slam victories. 

"After three years of the greatest achievements in my career, together with my coach Tomasz Wiktorowski we decided to part ways," Swiatek wrote on Instagram. 

"I want to start with a big thank you and appreciating our work together."

Swiatek has not competed since losing to Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals of the US Open, choosing to withdraw from the China Open due to personal reasons. 

The 23-year-old has also pulled out of the recent Korea Open in Seoul, citing fatigue, and next week's Wuhan Open. 

Swiatek won the French Open and US Open during her opening season with Wiktorowski, before embarking on a 37-match winning run in 2022 - the longest streak by a woman this century. 

The Pole won a fifth grand slam, which was her fourth with Wiktorowski, at Roland Garros in June, making it three consecutive wins at the tournament in Paris. 

"Coach Wiktorowski joined my team for three seasons, when I strongly needed changes and a fresh approach to my game," Swiatek continued.

"His experience, analytical and strategic attitude and enormous knowledge about tennis helped us to achieve things I've never dreamed of only a few months after we started working together."

But Swiatek was disappointed with her hard-court performances this season, exiting the Australian Open in the third round and the US Open in the last eight. 

The Pole said she has held "first talks" with prospective new coaches and will take a "couple of weeks" to start work with her next appointment.

"Our main goal was to become number one player in the world and coach Wiktorowski was the one who said it first," Swiatek concluded. 

"Due to this important change on my team, I give myself a couple of weeks to start cooperation with a new coach.

"I'm in the middle of first talks with coaches from abroad (non-Polish) because I'm ready to take the next step of my career. I will let you know when I make a decision."

Karolina Muchova secured an upset at the China Open, snapping Aryna Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak to reach the semi-finals.

The Czech prevailed in two hours and 48 minutes with a 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-4 win over the number one seed on Friday.

Muchova started strong, forcing Sabalenka to defend three break points in the opening game, but they were evenly matched throughout.

Sabalenka almost took the first set, but Muchova held her nerve, successfully fighting back against two set points before taking the tie-break.

The Belarusian looked back to her free-flowing best in the second though, earning two breaks as she forced the decider in comfortable fashion.

Sabalenka took an early lead in the final set, but from 4-2 down, Muchova clawed her way back, going on a four-game winning streak at the end to book a meeting with Qinwen Zheng or Mirra Andreeva in the final four. 

Data Debrief: Czech mate

Given Sabalenka's recent hot streak, this does look like an upset, but it is actually pretty run-of-the-mill for Muchova.

She has now won her last three matches against Sabalenka in WTA events, defeating her at Cincinnati, Roland Garros 2023 and China Open 2024. 

Excluding the BJK Cup, only Iga Swiatek (85.3%) has a higher winning percentage than Muchova on hard-court in WTA events during 2024 (84.6%, 11-2), surpassing Sabalenka (82.5%, 33-7).

The 28-year-old has reached just her second career semi-final and is the player with the fewest WTA-1000 wins during the season before the start of the China Open (one) to reach this stage of the tournament.

Coco Gauff came from behind to defeat Yuliia Starodubtseva and reach the semi-finals of the China Open.

Gauff was no match for the qualifier in the first set of Thursday's tie, but the American rallied back to win 2-6 6-2 6-2.

The world number six will face Paula Badosa, the 15th seed, on Saturday.

She is vying for a place in her first final since she triumphed in Auckland in January, and her first at a WTA 1000 event since she won the Cincinnati Open in 2023.

Data Debrief: Comeback queen

Including retirements, Gauff (two) has achieved multiple match wins from a set down at a single WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career, and for the first time at a single WTA event overall since last year's US Open.

Since the format's inception in 2009, meanwhile, only Caroline Wozniacki (eight) has reached more WTA 1000 semi-finals than Coco Gauff (seven) before turning 21. World number one Iga Swiatek (five) is the only other player to reach 5+ semi-finals over that span.

Badosa stands between Gauff and the final. She beat home hope Zhang Shuai in the quarters, and became the second Spaniard to reach the semi-finals of the China Open since the inception of the tournament in 2004 after Garbine Muguruza in 2015.

She is the second oldest player to reach the semi-finals of the China Open in their maiden appearance after Amelie Mauresmo in 2006.

Naomi Osaka was forced to retire from her China Open meeting with Coco Gauff due to a lower back injury, sending the American through to the quarter-finals.

Osaka, who was aiming for her fourth successive win after returning from maternity leave, had earlier caused Gauff plenty of problems as she took the opening set.

After a series of breaks to open the match, Osaka went into the changeover 3-2 up but received treatment on her back after appearing to struggle with her movement.

Some error-prone play by Gauff allowed Osaka to clinch a third break before serving out the opener, but she swiftly gave up a break to go behind in the second set.

Gauff ultimately edged a hard-fought, 51-minute second set featuring several more breaks, with Osaka retiring before the decider could get underway, having struggled to land her first serves in the latter stages.

Gauff now advances to the China Open quarter-finals for the second year in a row, with Ukraine's Yulia Starodubtsewa up next for the world number six.

Fellow American and second seed Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, was beaten in straight sets by Paula Badosa, who will face home favourite Zhang Shuai in the last eight.

Data Debrief: Twenty up for Gauff

The victory may not have come in the manner she envisaged, but Gauff has brought up her 20th career win over a former grand slam champion on the WTA Tour.

Since 2000, Gauff is the fifth player to achieve 20 such wins before turning 21, along with Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters (28 each), Martina Hingis (24) and Serena Williams (22).

Naomi Osaka is confident she will be able to gain control of her tie with Coco Gauff at the China Open.

Osaka defeated Katie Volynets 6-3 6-2 on Monday to progress to the last 16 in Beijing.

And the four-time grand slam champion's reward was a meeting with world number six Gauff.

The duo have played each other on four occasions, splitting the head-to-head record with two wins each, though their last meeting came in 2022, with Gauff winning in straight sets.

"She's very athletic obviously. For me, my strongest traits are being aggressive and also my serve," Osaka said.

"So it's definitely going to be a battle - who wants to take control of the point first? And I think it's going to be me."

Osaka's tie with Gauff will represent the first time two former grand slam winners will meet in the last 16 at the China Open since 2016, when Petra Kvitova overcame Garbine Muguruza.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka also sealed her progress on Monday, beating American Ashlyn Krueger 6-2 6-2.

"Control over my emotions, that's the key," said US Open champion Sabalenka, who will face Kruger's compatriot Madison Keys in the next round.

"Before it felt like if I'm not going to win this match, something bad is going to happen. I'm going to die," she explained.

"Nowadays I'm just working hard, I'm trying to improve myself every day. Every time I'm on the court, I'm trying to give my best. If you give your best but you didn't win the match, it's okay."

Sabalenka has now registered 800 winners in WTA 1000 tournaments during 2024, while she is the only woman during the Open Era to register a win percentage of over 80% in WTA tournaments held in China (81.3%, 39-9, minimum10 matches played).

Aryna Sabalenka moved to within two wins of equalling the best winning run of her career after crushing qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew at the China Open.

In her first appearance since her US Open triumph, the top seed overcame a slow start in Beijing to win 6-4 6-1 in an hour and 16 minutes against her Thai opponent. 

Sawangkaew did not make life easy for the Belarusian in the opener, breaking back to level the contest heading into the ninth game before Sabalenka took control. 

The world number two then clicked into gear, winning five games in a row in the second set to roar to a 13th straight victory, though she acknowledged the difficulties she faced on Saturday.

"She's playing great tennis. The first set she played incredible tennis. It was really difficult playing against her," Sabalenka said. 

"Especially on this surface in these conditions. I'm happy I was able to manage that set. In the second set, everything started coming together.

"Thank you so much for the support. It’s really amazing to be back here. I'm happy with this win."

Sabalenka will face Ashlyn Krueger in the next round after the American beat Wimbledon quarter-finalist Lulu Sun in straight sets. 

Data Debrief: Sabalenka continues China love story

Sabalenka has won 18 of her first 21 matches in WTA-1000 tournaments in China, the most of any player since the format's introduction in 2009.

Since Tianjin 2017, when she made her debut at a tournament in China, no women's player has won more matches at WTA events in this country than Sabalenka (38).

Coco Gauff prevailed in her opening match at the China Open, beating Clara Burel in straight sets on Friday to reach the third round.

Playing in her first match since her US Open fourth-round exit, Gauff held off the Frenchwoman's challenge, winning 7-5 6-3 in 102 minutes.

The pair traded breaks early in the contest before Burel pulled in front and looked sure to take the first set.

Gauff pushed back though, saving a set point at 5-4 before eventually edging in front with her fourth break of the set.

It was slightly more straightforward in the second, with Gauff's patience eventually rewarded as a three-game winning streak at the end of the match sealed the victory, setting up a meeting with Katie Boulter in the next round. 

Data Debrief: Hard court advantage

With this victory, Gauff has now won 46 matches at WTA-1000 hard-court events, equalling Caroline Wozniacki for the most such wins before turning 21 since the format was introduced in 2009 (46).

It also marks Gauff's 30th straight win over a player ranked outside the top 50, with her last such defeat coming 15 months ago in the first round of Wimbledon 2023 against Sofia Kenin. 

Naomi Osaka rallied to beat Yulia Putintseva in the second round of the China Open on Friday, ending a wait of over two years for a comeback victory.

Osaka came from a set down to win 3-6 6-4 6-2 and tee up a third-round meeting with Katie Volynets, extending her winning streak at the Beijing event to eight matches.

She had failed to win any of her previous 22 matches when going a set down, a streak she was mightily relieved to snap.

"I heard that stat from my agent," Osaka told reporters after her win. 

"I wanted to break it really badly because I knew that I also had a stat about three-setters before I took my break, so that was really important to me.

"I also wanted to show myself that I could win a match and fight without playing as perfectly as I wanted to."

Data Debrief: Back-to-back for Osaka

This is the first time Osaka has won back-to-back matches since June at 's-Hertogenbosch, where she reached the quarter-finals before falling to Bianca Andreescu.

The last time she won from a set down, meanwhile, was in the Miami Open semi-finals in 2022, when she beat Belinda Bencic before losing to Iga Swiatek in the final.

World number 595 Zhang Shuai stunned US Open semi-finalist Emma Navarro at the China Open on Friday, just two days after ending a 603-day winless streak.

Zhang ended a 24-match losing run – which began after the Lyon Open in 2023 – by beating American McCartney Kessler 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-1) in her Beijing opener on Wednesday.

That long-awaited victory teed up a clash with world number eight Navarro, who Zhang beat 6-4 6-2 in a major upset in front of a jubilant crowd in the Chinese capital.

Zhang, who is the lowest-ranked player to ever compete in the main draw at the WTA 1000 event, got to the net on her second match point to smash a forehand winner past Navarro, teeing up a meeting with Belgium's Greet Minnen for Sunday.

Data Debrief: Beijing witnesses historic upset

Ranked a lowly 595th in the world, Zhang has become the lowest-ranked player to defeat a top-10 player at the China Open since the tournament's 2004 inception.

She had also won her most recent meeting with a top-10 player, beating Caroline Garcia in Tokyo back in 2022. 

Coco Gauff says her main focus is on improving her serve after adding Matt Daly to her coaching team ahead of the China Open.

Daly, who has previously coached former Wimbledon semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov, has linked up with Gauff and her long-term mentor Jean-Christophe Faurel, following her split with Brad Gilbert earlier this month.

The world number six is gearing up for her first tournament since her US Open title defence ended at the hands of Emma Navarro in round four at Flushing Meadows.

Gauff, who hit 19 double-faults during that defeat, has failed to progress beyond the last 16 in any of her last five events, having previously reached three successive semi-finals at the Italian Open, French Open and Berlin Open.

But the 20-year-old is looking forward to a fresh start, and is already seeing the benefits of her work with Daly, ahead of facing Clara Burel in Beijing on Friday.

"There are other parts of my game that I want to work on, too, but the focus right now is the serve," she told the WTA Insider.

"When I serve well, I play pretty well. For me, that's the basis for my game. Already, the little bit we've done has made a drastic improvement to where I was three weeks ago.

"At this point, there's not a crazy amount, like going through a technique change or resetting everything. It's just subtle things that, doing it for a week now, will help me.

"I'm super excited about a new change and, hopefully, to improve other parts of my game. 

"Working with Brad was really great and, obviously, we had a great partnership. It was just time to do a reset, a refresh and add some things in my game that I felt like I need to do to have a better season next year."

Naomi Osaka beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-3 6-2 in the first round of the China Open on Wednesday, in her first match under Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Osaka was returning to the Beijing event for the first time since triumphing there in 2019, and she rallied after going a break down in the first set, ultimately winning comfortably.

The four-time major champion smashed 30 winners to Bronzetti's seven in the one-hour, 23-minute contest, teeing up a second-round clash with Yulia Putintseva.

Speaking after her win, she admitted she had harboured doubts over Mouratoglou initially but was now convinced she has found the right coach.

"I think the fact he was Serena's coach made me want to avoid him," she said. This isn't rude because I found out it's not true, but I didn't know if he was a good coach or he just coached Serena!

"Then I met him, talked to him, worked with him on the court. He absolutely is a really good coach. I'm really glad that he's taking this project on, as well." 

Data Debrief: Osaka's hard-court success

Osaka's victory means she now holds a 72.3% win percentage on hard courts at WTA 1000 events and grand slams (102 wins, 39 defeats).

Only three active players have a better such win ratio; Iga Swiatek (78.3%), Victoria Azarenka (75.5%) and Aryna Sabalenka (73.8%).

Aryna Sabalenka is targeting a return to the top of the world rankings to cap a stellar 2024.

Sabalenka won two grand slam titles this year, the Australian Open and the US Open, as well as clinching the top prize in Cincinnati as well.

She also reached the final in Madrid and Rome, losing out to world number one Iga Swiatek on both occasions.

The Belarusian currently sits over 2,000 points behind Swiatek in the women's rankings, but the Pole will not be defending her crown at the upcoming China Open.

Sabalenka is entering the tournament as the number one seed, and another victory would see her take a huge step towards closing the gap at the top.

"Of course that's one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one," Sabalenka said.

"I'm not trying to focus on that, I'm trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left.

"I'm just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I'll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one.

"To be called the best player in the world, that means everything. It's good to know that you've been doing the right thing, all of that hours of training wasn't a waste of time."

The women's singles tournament in China begins on Wednesday, with the final to be held on October 6. 

Emma Raducanu has confirmed she will not play at this week's China Open after sustaining a foot injury. 

Raducanu was forced to withdraw from her Korea Open quarter-final match against Daria Kasatkina after needing a medical timeout in the opening set. 

The Briton was initially included in the draw for the Beijing event, but confirmation of her withdrawal was revealed soon afterwards.

The world number 54 was due to face a qualifier in the first round, with Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen potentially waiting in the next round.

"I sprained some ligaments in my foot which unfortunately need some more time to heal," Raducanu wrote on X.

"It means I can't play in Beijing but I hope to be back competing as soon as I can."

Raducanu has again struggled with injuries during the 2024 season but has managed to rise up the rankings, playing 33 matches on the WTA Tour this term.

She suffered a lower back injury during the Miami Open in March and was also hampered by a stomach bug at the Australian Open in the first major of the year. 

The Briton also sat out the French Open but managed to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon, though an untimely slip against Lulu Sun saw her bow out in three sets. 

The Korea Open was her first tournament since losing in the first round of the US Open, and she is next scheduled to play in Wuhan, China next month.

Iga Swiatek has passed Ashleigh Barty to go seventh in the all-time charts for most weeks spent as the WTA's world number one.

Swiatek won her fifth career grand slam title at the French Open in June, though she did suffer third-round exits from the Australian Open and Wimbledon before going out in the last eight at the US Open earlier this month.

However, Swiatek still sits over 2,000 points clear of her closest rival, Flushing Meadows champion Aryna Sabalenka, at the top of the women's world rankings.

She has now spent a total of 122 weeks at the top of the rankings, moving clear of Barty, who spent 121 weeks as the world's top-ranked female player.

Only Steffi Graf (377 weeks), Martina Navratilova (332), Serena Williams (319), Chris Evert (260), Martina Hingis (209) and Monica Seles (178) have now spent more time as world number one than Swiatek since the rankings were introduced in 1975.

Beatriz Haddad Maia clinched her first WTA title of the year by fighting back from a set and a break down to beat Daria Kasatkina 1-6 6-4 6-1 in the Korea Open final on Sunday.

Haddad Maia, who produced her second-best major run by reaching the US Open quarter-finals earlier this month, was a distant second-best as she lost the opener 6-1.

Top seed Kasatkina then broke in the first game of the second set but Haddad Maia rallied from there, hitting back in the sixth game then later winning set point against her opponent's serve.

The Brazilian was irrepressible in the decider, winning 100% of her first-serve points (10/10) and saving three break points in a row when Kasatkina did put the pressure on midway through the set.

Haddad Maia made that count by going two breaks up, then served out the contest to love to earn her first title since winning the WTA Elite Trophy in China last year.

Data Debrief: Haddad Maia goes one better

Haddad Maia reached the final of the Korea Open on her tournament debut in 2017, only to go down to Jelena Ostapenko in her first WTA showpiece match – and her last until she won the 2022 Nottingham Open.

A dominant performance on serve got her over the line on Sunday, after her early wobble.

Haddad Maia won 72% of first-serve points to Kasatkina's 63%, also converting four of the five break points she generated.