Top seed Ons Jabeur won her second title of the 2023 season with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Diana Shnaider in the final of the Ningbo Open.
Making her debut appearance at the WTA 250 tournament in Ningbo, the last-minute wildcard Jabeur needed just 78 minutes to overpower the world No.85 Shnaider. It’s the Tunisian’s fifth WTA title, but first on hard courts.
Shnaider was playing her maiden career final in just her ninth WTA main draw. Merely a year ago, the teenager held a ranking of No.220 while embarking on her freshman year at North Carolina State University. She broke into the Top 100 while still in college, ultimately transitioning to the professional circuit in May. Her impressive performance in China guarantees her a new career-high ranking within the Top 70 come Monday.
Besides Shnaider, the list of Jabeur’s defeated opponents in Ningbo includes Diane Parry, Tamara Korpatsch, the former world No.2 Vera Zvonareva (who clinched the doubles title alongside Laura Siegemund at the 2023 Ningbo Open), and the 2021 French Open semifinalist Nadia Podoroska.
