BEIJING — Mirra Andreeva will climb to a new career-high of world No 3 in the WTA Rankings next week after powering into the China Open final with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 semi-final victory over Nikola Bartunkova in Beijing. The 19-year-old, who started the WTA 1000 event at No 5, has surged past Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula during her run to the championship match.
The Russian was already assured of rising to No 4 after her quarter-final win over Ekaterina Alexandrova moved her ahead of Gauff, and her straight-sets dismissal of Bartunkova guarantees another climb above Pegula. Andreeva arrived in Beijing with 5,841 points and just 120 to defend, while Gauff dropped 1,390 and Pegula 1,040; once those points were removed she sat on 5,721 to Gauff's 5,954 and Pegula's 6,225. Gauff's fourth-round exit left her on 5,974 and Pegula, who missed the event, remained on 6,225, while Andreeva has moved to 6,371 in the Live WTA Rankings and would reach 6,721 with the title, closing on second-placed Aryna Sabalenka on 7,485.
At 19, Andreeva becomes the youngest player to reach the top three since a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova achieved the feat in 2005. It marks her fourth WTA 1000 final, following title runs at the Dubai Tennis Championships and Indian Wells Open in 2025 and a runner-up finish at this year's Madrid Open. Her rise has been fuelled by a breakthrough season that includes winning the French Open against Maja Chwalinska in the final, plus titles at the Adelaide International and Linz Open, with the Madrid final loss to Marta Kostyuk her other showpiece appearance.
Andreeva will face either Elise Mertens — who beat third seed Gauff and eighth seed Iga Swiatek en route — or home favourite Zheng Qinwen in the final. She has already secured qualification for the season-ending WTA Finals, where she will join Elena Rybakina, Sabalenka, Pegula, Gauff and Linda Noskova with two places still up for grabs.
Bartunkova also leaves Beijing with a milestone, breaking into the top 30 for the first time after climbing six places to No 28 in the Live WTA Rankings. The 20-year-old Czech only made her WTA 1000 debut at the Italian Open in May, where she reached the quarter-final, and five months later has added a maiden semi-final at this level.