From the Australian Open to the US Open, Yuan Yue always ends up losing in the final set.

It is well recognized that in women's professional tennis matches, the competitor who secures two sets wins the match, be it in Grand Slams, tour events, challengers, or hope tournaments. Thus, if the contest reaches the deciding third set, both players actually have some degree of possibility to win. Objectively, this chance is balanced between them.

However, since the 2025 season began, from the Australian Open to the US Open, there has been a player who consistently pushes her opponents to a final set, yet often ends up with the same outcome. So, who exactly is this player? And what is the story behind this? Let this article take you through it.

This player is Yuan Yue. Last season, whether in WTA 250, WTA 500, or WTA 1000 tournaments, or on clay and grass tours, Yuan Yue achieved new career breakthroughs. Because of this, many fans held certain expectations for her entering the 2025 season.

In mid-January, during the first round of the Australian Open, Yuan Yue faced Russian player Pavlyuchenkova, who had previously reached a Grand Slam final and was quite formidable. In this match, the first set was tightly contested, but Pavlyuchenkova broke Yuan Yue’s serve and quickly secured the set, gaining an early advantage toward advancing.

In the second set, Yuan Yue found her rhythm first, winning four consecutive games to take the lead. Although Pavlyuchenkova leveled the score, Yuan Yue broke her opponent’s serve at a crucial moment and then held her own serve to win the set, pushing the match into a deciding set. In the final set, Yuan Yue initially took the lead with breaks and holds, but Pavlyuchenkova won four games in a row to overturn the score. Despite Yuan Yue breaking back to close the gap, Pavlyuchenkova continued to score with breaks and holds, ultimately defeating Yuan Yue, who sadly exited the tournament.

At the end of May, in the first round of the French Open, Yuan Yue’s opponent was Italian player Paolini, who had twice reached Grand Slam finals. In the first set, Yuan Yue suffered a shutout; in the second, she fought back to win 6-4, pushing the match to a decider. Yuan Yue led at one point in the final set, but Paolini repeatedly succeeded with her attacks, leveling and then surpassing the score. Ultimately, Yuan Yue was defeated and faced the embarrassment of a first-round exit at another Grand Slam.

At the end of June, in the first round of Wimbledon, Yuan Yue played against German player Lis. Lis broke Yuan Yue’s serve right at the start of the first set. Although Yuan Yue later equalized the score, she was broken again and lost the set 4-6. In the second set, despite trailing, Yuan Yue broke her opponent’s serve multiple times to level the score, then held and broke serve again to win the set, forcing a deciding set.

In the final set, Yuan Yue was broken again early, falling behind. Although she tried hard to catch up during the match, it was in vain. This marked the third time in the 2025 season that Yuan Yue pushed a Grand Slam match to the deciding set, and also her third first-round exit at a Grand Slam in 2025.

Last week, Yuan Yue arrived in New York. In the first round of the US Open, her opponent was Russian player Samsonova, who had previously reached a WTA 1000 final. In the first set, Yuan Yue broke Samsonova’s serve multiple times and won 6-2, marking the first time in the 2025 season that Yuan Yue took the lead in a Grand Slam match.

However, in the second set, Samsonova fought back and won 6-4, pushing the match to a deciding set. In the final set, Samsonova gave Yuan Yue no chance and reversed the match with a 6-4 win. Yuan Yue, despite having a favorable opportunity to advance, had to accept the fate of an early exit. That’s the tennis story for today; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)