Week in review: Leylah takes Singapore and Czechia takes the Cup back

The Asian Swing kicked off this past week in Singapore and Seoul, and it didn't take long for the drama to ensue.

Marathon matches and epic comebacks were the theme of the week, with no lead seemingly safe. When all was said and done, one player took home her first title of the year and another broke through with the first title of her career.

Plus, in Shenzhen, we were treated to the last three rounds of the Billie Jean King Cup over five action-packed days, with a familiar nation hoisting the trophy on championship Sunday.

Here's everything that went down on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz last week.

Star of the Week

Leylah Fernandez

Leylah Fernandez won her first title of the season, and second 500 of her career, behind an inspired performance that included a pair of upsets against this past summer's Roland Garros finalists. She upset French Open champion Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, her second consecutive win over the World No. 5 in as many months, and then came from a set down to beat Maja Chwalinska.

That was the only set the Canadian lost all week. She trailed Talia Gibson 5-4 in the first set in the final, and faced a set point, but saved it before holding to level the match. From there she rolled, winning eight straight games for the 7-5, 6-0 win.

The title propelled Fernandez back into the Top 30 of the PIF WTA Rankings, to No. 26.

Breakthrough of the Week

Kimberly Birrell

Third time was a charm for Kimberly Birrell, who won her first career WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz title after losing her first two finals.

The 28-year-old dropped just one set all week, in a three-set win over Anna Bondar. Then in the championship match, her first since last November in Chennai, Birrell beat fellow Australian Maya Joint 6-4, 6-2 to secure the title. 

Birrell's run in Seoul moved her into the Top 50 of the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time, up 19 spots to No. 41.

Country of the Week

Czechia

Czechia continues to solidify itself as a powerhouse, one of the most talented and accomplished tennis nations in the world. Behind a loaded roster featuring Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, World No. 8 Karolina Muchova, doubles World No. 1 Katerina Siniakova, and Top 30 players Marie Bouzkova and Sara Bejlek, Czechia won three ties in five days to claim its 12th Billie Jean King Cup title.

Czechia didn't drop a match all week, going a perfect 6-0. That included a sweep of Ukraine in the final, with Muchova beating Anhelina Kalinina and Noskova topping Elina Svitolina. 

It's Czechia's first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2018, and snaps Italy's run of back-to-back titles. 

Best Match of the Week

Tatiana Prozorova d. Alexandra Eala, Singapore Round of 16

In one of the biggest surprises of the week -- but not the biggest, as you'll discover below -- then-No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova came from a set and 4-2 down to stun third-seeded Alexandra Eala 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a match that lasted 3 hours and 9 minutes.

It was just the fourth career WTA win for Prozorova, and first career Top 20 win. Eala, meanwhile, hadn't lost to a player outside the Top 100 in a year.

The 22-year-old Prozorova certainly had to work for her first career semifinal berth in Singapore, spending 9 hours on court in her three three-set wins before withdrawing.

Best Comeback of the Week

Maya Joint d. Yao Xinxin, Seoul first round

There were several comebacks from 4-2 down in second or third sets this past week, but no escapes were greater than Maya Joint's against Chinese qualifier Yao Xinxin.

Joint battled from 6-2, 5-1 down, and saved three match points in the process, to win 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3. Joint saved the first match point at 5-1, the second at 5-4 and the third in the incredibly tense tiebreak.

Joint made the most of her second life in Seoul, winning three more matches to reach the final.

Biggest Upset of the Week

Greet Minnen d. Elina Svitolina, Billie Jean King Cup quarterfinals

This one may have slipped under the radar, but it was notable. 

Belgium's Greet Minnen, ranked No. 217 in the world, came from a set down to beat No. 7 Svitolina 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4 to force a doubles decider against Ukraine in Shenzhen.

Minnen became the lowest-ranked player to beat a Top 10 player in a completed match this year, and it was only the second Top 10 win of her career. The previous one was four years ago, against Garbine Muguruza at Wimbledon.

Best Shot of the Week

Maja Chwalinska's unreturnable return

The term unreturnable is often thrown around liberally. But this shot from Chwalinska was literally unreturnable. 

Standing far behind the baseline, Rebecca Sramkova hit a massive serve out wide. All Chwalinska could do was stick her racquet out, and the ball sailed high above the net. The backhand had so much spin that the ball bounced softly, then came back to Chwalinska's side of the net before Sramkova could get to it.

Best Stat of the Week

An all-Aussie final, 9 years in the making

When Birrell and Joint met in the Seoul final, it marked the first time since 2017 that two Australians played in a WTA final. In fact, it was just the fourth all-Australian final since 1979, which is hard to wrap one's head around. 

Social Moment of the Week

We shift gears from Asia to Europe, where Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka made appearances at Vogue World: Milano. Sabalenka walked the runway for Italian fashion house Gucci, wearing a chocolate-brown turtleneck gown.

Osaka wore a black, sheer Chantilly blouse and skirt combination from Roberto Cavalli's Fall 2026 collection.

Both players are in playing this week's China Open.