The 2024 Austin champion in “couldn’t care less” mode

Yuan Yue has a special, almost inseparable bond with the Austin tournament. It’s here that she lifted her very first WTA trophy in 2024, after a memorable final against her compatriot Wang Xiyu. Although her ranking has dropped back to 128th in the world, she’s proving this week that her Lucky Loser status is nothing more than a bureaucratic technicality: in her opening match, she saved three match points to edge past Rebecca Šrámková after a battle lasting more than two hours. Under the guidance of her coach José Hernández-Fernández, Yuan is rediscovering in Texas that counterpunching ability that is her main strength. And let’s not forget that she pushed Iga Świątek to her limits just a month ago at the Australian Open (6–7, 3–6), matching the Pole’s raw power for nearly two hours on Rod Laver Arena.

Dalma Gálfi arrives with the confidence of a player who has just ruined Bianca Andreescu’s comeback, but she still lacks consistency over the course of an entire tournament. While the Hungarian has a natural advantage on serve thanks to her 1.78 m frame, she showed signs of vulnerability in her first-round match, letting slip numerous chances to finish things off earlier. Andreescu was fragile, lacked speed and power, and still managed to push the match to three sets.

Unlike Yuan, who knows every inch of the Westwood Country Club, Gálfi is still trying to find her bearings on a surface where she had never won a single match before this week.