All three Chinese tennis stars were eliminated in the first round; whose loss is the most regrettable?

The 2026 WTA1000 Indian Wells tournament has finished all first-round contests, and some second-round matches have also been decided. This year's Indian Wells event saw three Chinese players gain direct entry into the main draw through their world rankings. Yuan Yue also participated in the women's singles qualifying, but she was defeated in her opening match by Garfey in straight sets.

The three Chinese players appearing in the women's singles main draw were No. 24 seed Zheng Qinwen, No. 30 seed Wang Xinyu, and unseeded player Zhang Shuai. The veteran Zhang Shuai was the first to play, facing Ukrainian player Yastremska. Despite having previously secured three consecutive wins against her, Zhang Shuai was defeated this time in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

Zhang Shuai also partnered with Mertens as the No. 4 seed in women's doubles and completed their first-round match. They faced a strong pairing of Andreyeva/Mbokoko, a combination of singles stars, in the opening round. Ultimately, Zhang Shuai and Mertens lost in a tie-break, failing to advance in both tournaments they entered after winning the Australian Open.

Wang Xinyu had a relatively better draw; her opponent Tomljanovic was ranked far below her. However, throughout the match, Wang Xinyu held eight break points but unfortunately converted none, eventually losing to Tomljanovic 3-6, 1-6.

Wang Xinyu's performance this season has been like a roller coaster. She had a streak of wins during the early Australian season and achieved her best result at Melbourne Park at the Australian Open. However, after the Australian Open, she only managed 3 wins and 4 losses, and suffered first-round exits in both North American tournaments.

The last of the three Chinese players to appear, Zheng Qinwen, who also holds the highest world ranking, did not secure a victory either. In a match that concluded earlier today, she lost to Rutjic 4-6, 5-7. Rutjic's tight defense during the match was key to defeating Zheng Qinwen.

In contrast, Zheng Qinwen's serve, which has always been one of her scoring weapons, was not as powerful in this match. This led to the typically offensive Chinese player being disadvantaged in rallies, with Rutjic controlling the pace.

Certainly, in the final stages of the match, Zheng Qinwen rallied from a 2-5 deficit to level at 5-5 and saved two match points, but ultimately she could not win the match.

Rutjic, who for the first time in her career reached the Indian Wells third round (32-player stage), will now challenge No. 13 seed Muchova. Zheng Qinwen, a quarterfinalist last year, saw her world ranking temporarily drop to No. 26 after being stopped in the second round.

Zheng Qinwen also reached the quarterfinals at last year's Miami tournament. So, among the three players, whose defeat do you find the most surprising?（Source: Tennis Home Author: Barbie）