Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini have once again proven their dominance on the court by retaining their China Open women’s doubles crown in a thrilling final held in Beijing. Overcoming a one-set deficit, they triumphed over Fanny Stollar and Miyu Kato with a scoreline of 6-7 (1), 6-3, [10-2]. This victory marks a significant milestone as they become the first duo to successfully defend this title at the tournament.
Dominant Performance Throughout the Tournament
This win represents their third WTA 1000 trophy of the season, following their earlier victories in Doha and Rome, and it also adds to their impressive tally of four titles in 2025, which includes a Grand Slam title at the French Open. Their performance throughout the tournament was nothing short of spectacular; they dropped just five games in the first round, the highest total they conceded before reaching the final. In the semifinals, they showcased their strength by sweeping past fourth seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko, dominating the second set and leaving their opponents without a game.
Despite a challenging start in the final, where they lost a lopsided first-set tiebreak, the statistics indicated a shift in momentum. Errani and Paolini made fewer unforced errors and won more total points in the opening set, even though they faced difficulties with break chances, going 0-for-5. The turning point came in the second set, during which they converted two of five break points while not facing any on their own serve. Overall, they finished 2-for-10 on break points and allowed just one break point throughout the match. In the decisive match tiebreak, they surged ahead quickly, establishing a 4-0 lead and finishing strong at 10-2.
This victory adds to an impressive 16-month stretch for the Italian duo, including a Grand Slam title, an Olympic gold medal, and five WTA 1000 trophies. Paolini’s latest success marks her 10th career WTA doubles title and her ninth alongside Errani. Since the beginning of 2024, she has also achieved remarkable feats, including two WTA 1000 singles titles, five WTA 1000 doubles crowns, and reaching Grand Slam singles finals at both Wimbledon and Roland Garros. Errani, on the other hand, has expanded her résumé to 36 WTA doubles titles, which features six Grand Slam doubles trophies, 10 WTA 1000 titles, and three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
Following this victory, both players will maintain their positions at No. 5 in the PIF WTA Doubles Rankings, but they have significantly closed the gap on the teams ahead of them. They have also already qualified for the upcoming WTA Finals in Riyadh, scheduled for November. On the other hand, Stollar and Kato have shown remarkable progress, with Stollar projected to rise six spots to a career-high No. 31 and Kato set to climb 14 places to No. 43.