A streak of four consecutive wins, Wang Xiaofei achieved his best performance of the 2025 season last week.

It is well known that tennis tournaments are ranked from highest to lowest as Grand Slams, Tours, Challengers, and Futures. Because Futures are the lowest level, they have traditionally attracted little attention from fans. Nevertheless, they represent the longest-lasting tennis competitions in a season. Additionally, many young talents must pass through this stage when first entering the professional circuit. Almost every week, one or even several players emerge here to achieve new career breakthroughs.

For example, this week Chinese rising star Milan reached her first-ever Futures final in Monastir; similarly, last week another Chinese player achieved the best result of the 2025 season at a Futures event. So, who exactly is this player? What kind of achievement did they accomplish? Today, this article will take you through the story.

This player is Wang Xiaofei. During his junior years, he won the French Open Future Tennis Star Global Finals, becoming the first Chinese male tennis player ever to claim that title. In July 2022, Wang Xiaofei captured his first Futures title in Tunisia. That year, he improved his world ranking by more than 700 spots, drawing some attention from tennis fans.

However, starting in 2024, Wang Xiaofei’s world ranking steadily declined due to various reasons. At one point, he fell out of the top 1400. Many believed he was on an irreversible downward path. Last week, Wang appeared in the Ma’anshan Futures event using a protected ranking. In the first round, he faced the tournament’s third seed, Russian player E. Agafonov. Since Agafonov’s ranking was far higher, most expected Wang to be defeated and sent home early.

In this match, Wang fought hard over three sets to upset his opponent, causing a significant surprise. After this tough victory, he faced Indian player Vadhan in the second round. Wang performed exceptionally well, conceding only seven games across two sets. With this dominant win, he advanced to his second Futures quarterfinal of the 2025 season. Will Wang be able to go further this time?

In the quarterfinals, Wang’s opponent was compatriot Xiao Linang, who recently won his first Futures title. Once again, Wang battled through three sets to claim victory. Notably, this marked Wang’s first appearance in a Futures semifinal in the 2025 season. In the semis, he faced the top seed, Korean player Shin S, who has previously won multiple Futures titles in China. Objectively, it was a tough challenge for Wang to advance.

However, Wang unexpectedly took the first set, gaining the upper hand. Although the top seed won the second set and pushed the match to a decider, Wang gained confidence. In the final set, Wang allowed his opponent only two games. He defeated the top seed, achieving his first streak of four consecutive wins in the 2025 season and reaching his first Futures final of the year.

Although he was soundly defeated by the tournament’s fourth seed, Russian player M. Zhukov, in the final and finished as runner-up, Wang Xiaofei’s performance remains commendable. That concludes today’s tennis story; stay tuned for more tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)