Zhuhai: China’a No. 1 Wang Qiang has been left “really tired” at the end of a punishing season on the WTA Tour and believes she has played “too many matches”.
The world No. 22 has been on a spectacular run of form recently that has seen her leapfrog Zhang Shuai to become China’s top singles player.
But the gruelling schedule at the season’s climax has left the 26-year-old feeling fatigued — mentally and physically.
“It’s really too much,” she said at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. “Too many tournaments for me, too many matches. Especially the last two months.”
Wang won the Guangzhou Open in September, her second career title after beating compatriot Zheng Saisai at the Jiangxi Open in July.
She made the semis at the Wuhan Open but had to retire with an injury.
And she impressed again in mid-October by staging an outstanding comeback to defeat former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza to reach her first Hong Kong Open final.
Asked about her eye-catching 2018 season, the Asian Games champion, who is playing in Zhuhai for the first time, said: “The top half of the year I didn’t feel so good, because my ranking went down to 91.
“But the last five months I felt really good and I won a lot of matches. So now my ranking is 22, so I came straight into this tournament.
“I’m so happy to be here and play this tournament. But now, mentally and my body is really tired, so after this one I will go on holiday.”
