The tennis star, who suffered 24 consecutive defeats, defeated the world No. 8 with an incredible victory | Tennis

Zhang Shuai, who recently ended her streak of 24 consecutive defeats, pulled off an incredible upset by beating Emma Navarro at the China Open. The former Grand Slam quarter-finalist became the lowest-seeded player to compete in the main draw of his home tournament.

Earlier this week, McCartney beat Kessler in straight sets to win his first match in more than 600 days. He followed up with a seismic victory over Navarro, who is ranked eighth in the world and reached the semi-finals of the US Open earlier this month.

Zhang was easily the better player, storming to a 6-4 6-2 victory and securing a place in the third round of the China Open. The result also dealt a major blow to Navarro’s hopes of qualifying for the year-end WTA Finals in November.

Zhang’s brutal losing streak continued for a staggering 603 days before he defeated Kessler in Beijing. The match fell five short of the record set by Madeleine Pegel, who lost 29 consecutive matches between 1968 and 1972.

Speaking to WTA Insider after her victory over Kessler, Zhang said: “I think it’s perfect timing. My first win in a WTA tournament was 15 years ago at the China Open and the next day I beat the No. 1 player (Dinara Safina (2009). Maybe God has a plan.”

The 35-year-old said he wanted one more win before ending his career, adding: “It was like when I kept losing the first round at the Grand Slams, so I thought I had to challenge myself, but I’m not young anymore.”

“I don’t have many chances. I don’t have many tournaments. I need a slightly better draw. I need at least one more win in my life.”

Coco Gauff was among those happy to see Zhang’s losing streak end, with the American sending her a congratulatory message. Gauff also revealed how she was consoled by Zhang during a difficult time before her US Open victory last year.

He explained: “He (Zhang) said: ‘Don’t worry Coco, you will win the Grand Slam. I believe in you so much. I would bet my life on it’. And then I won the US Open. I never told him that, but he had faith in me for a long time.” I didn’t remember it.

“I think every player on the tour loves him, so it’s great to see him win. I love him. He deserves everything. It was tough to see him continue his streak, but honestly, despite all that, you would never realize he won through it.”

“I saw him five minutes after the games and he was still saying hello to me and being so excited to see me, which I’m not like after we lost. It shows the kind of person he is. I learned a lot from him.”