The Ningbo Open 2025 draw has set up some intriguing early-round matchups — and one of the most anticipated involves Emma Raducanu, who will open her campaign against Chinese player Lin Zhu, currently ranked No. 230 in the world.
First career meeting between Emma Raducanu and Lin Zhu
Zhu enters the tournament with a 19–15 record in 2025 and will look to make the most of her home-court advantage in front of the local crowd. Raducanu, meanwhile, is hoping to rebound from last week’s disappointment at the Wuhan Open 500, where she retired down 1–6, 1–4 to American Ann Li.
This will be the first career meeting between Raducanu and Zhu. Despite both having been on tour for several seasons, their paths have never crossed until now. Zhu has played primarily on hard courts this year, most recently appearing at the Guiyang ITF, where she lost to top-seeded Hanyu Guo.
In 2025, Raducanu’s Asian swing began with a solid start at the Korean Open, where she defeated Jaqueline Cristian before losing to Barbora Krejcikova. She then traveled to the China Open, beating Cristina Bucsa before falling to world No. 5 Jessica Pegula. Her most recent appearance — the abbreviated Wuhan Open match — ended prematurely due to physical struggles.
Possible Second-Round Clash: Raducanu vs. Andreeva
If the 2021 US Open champion gets past Zhu, a far tougher test likely awaits in Mirra Andreeva, who received a first-round bye. The 18-year-old Russian has put together a strong 2025 season — posting a 40–15 record — highlighted by back-to-back titles at Dubai and Indian Wells earlier this year. After those, she needed to regroup.
A potential second-round meeting between Raducanu and Andreeva would also be a first-time encounter. That’s hardly surprising — Andreeva is still early in her WTA career, while Raducanu continues to rebuild after an up-and-down stretch.
Still, Andreeva has cooled off during the Asian swing, going just 2–2 and suffering a surprising first-round loss to Laura Siegemund in her last outing, 7–6(4), 6–3, 6–3. If Raducanu is fully fit, that dip in form could open the door for an upset.
Andreeva’s Asian Swing So Far
Andreeva’s own run through Asia has been mixed. At the Beijing Open 1000, she looked sharp early, dismissing Lin Zhu (6–2, 6–2) and Jessica Bouzas-Maneiro (6–4, 6–1), but was edged out in a tense three-set battle by Britain’s Sonay Kartal (7–5, 2–6, 7–5) in the round of 16.
Despite that setback, Andreeva remains one of the most exciting young talents on tour — and if both she and Raducanu reach round two, their clash could be one of the standout matches of the tournament.