Daria Kasatkina is the defending champion: she defeated Russian star Mirra Andreeva in last year’s final.

Multiple Grand Slam champions are playing at the event in 2025, including Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova and Emma Raducanu.

There is another Grand Slam champion, who won the biggest prize of her career over five years ago, who has already exited the competition.

Sofia Kenin is demolished by McCartney Kessler in the Ningbo Open first round

Sofia Kenin has exited the Ningbo Open at the first hurdle after being comprehensively beaten by compatriot McCartney Kessler.

Kenin, who won the 2020 Australian Open Women’s Singles title, was never a competitive force in the contest against her lower-ranked opponent, losing 6-1, 6-0.

Remarkably, this was Kessler’s quickest match of 2025.

Despite the crushing result, Kenin will not lose any WTA points as she lost at the same stage in 2024.

Last year, Kenin was defeated in the round of 32 by Japanese star Aoi Ito, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

As for Kessler, she will face Hanyu Guo or eighth seed Liudmila Samsonova in the round of 16.

Kenin’s performance versus Kessler

It was a day to forget for Sofia Kenin, who simply could not find any rhythm in her match against Kessler.

As per Sofascore, the American made a respectable 79 per cent of her first serves. However, she only won 31 per cent of those points.

Kenin also won just 43 per cent of her second serve points and failed to save any of Kessler’s five break-point opportunities.

Comparatively, Kessler saved all three of Kenin’s break-point opportunities and won 81 per cent of her first serve points.

Remarkably, Kenin won only 11 points on her serve all match, 21 points less than Kessler.