DOUBLES * -TENNIS- DOMINATION ; HSIEH SU-WEI HONOURS

 

Hsieh Su-Wei is the best women's doubles player in the world. She has won three of the last four women's doubles majors, each with a different partner.

She first ascended to No.1 in doubles in 2014, winning Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. She won her second Wimbledon in 2019, and her third two years later.

Hsieh has never been consumed by the trappings of her sport, preferring to travel her own circuitous path. An accomplished singles player, she ranked a career high No. 23 in 2013 but has never gone beyond the quarterfinals at a major.

She first ascended to No.1 in doubles in 2014, winning Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014, both with Peng Shuai. She won her second Wimbledon in 2019 with Barbora Strycova and her third with Mertens two years later.

After leaving the tour for nearly 18 months at the end of 2021 to heal a nagging muscle strain in her leg that had her contemplating retirement, Hsieh returned in April last year and has now won three of the last four majors, each with a different partner.

At last year's French Open, she paired with Wang Xinyu, who was nearly 16 years her junior, to win the championship. Hsieh then captured Wimbledon with Strycova.

Last fall, after Strycova retired following the U.S. Open, Mertens messaged Hsieh and asked her to join forces for this season. The two promptly won the Australian Open in January [ Hsieh also won the mixed doubles title with Jan Zielenski ] and the doubles titles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in March.

That win helped her regain No.1.

Nothing much bothers the native of Taipei, Taiwan, whose style of play, like her personality, is at times precise, explosive and crafty. Sometimes even she doesn't know what shot she'll hit and when.

Her tour mates call her Wizard for her confounding shotmaking. 

The World Students Society thanks Cindy Shmerler.