What a journey! Veteran Zhang Shuai returns to the world top 100 after 26 months, securing her spot in the Australian Open main draw.

On November 28, in the quarterfinals of the ITF Yokohama W50 event, Chinese veteran Zhang Shuai delivered a dominant performance, defeating South Korea’s Park So-hyun 6–2, 6–2 to advance to the semifinals. The victory also boosts her live ranking back into the world top 100, securing a direct entry into next year’s Australian Open main draw.

In the first set, both players exchanged breaks early, but Zhang broke again in the third game to take the lead. At 4–2, she converted her third break point in game seven and closed out the set with a love hold, winning 6–2.

The second set saw Zhang racing to a 3–0 lead with two early breaks. Although she surrendered her serve in game four, she immediately broke back and extended the gap to 4–1. Serving for the match at 5–2, Zhang swept four straight points to seal another 6–2 set.

The win earns her 20 ranking points, and in next Monday’s updated WTA standings, Zhang is projected to rise to No. 96, officially returning to the top 100. She has previously spent 515 weeks inside the world’s top 100, with her last appearance dating back to September 10, 2023. Now approaching age 37, Zhang has made a remarkable return to the elite group after 26 and a half months.