Hot Shots

Vote: What was the best shot of the week in Wuhan?

Author: Brad Kallet
Hot Shots
3m read 16 Oct 2026 2h ago
Karolina Muchova, Wuhan 2026

The final WTA 1000 tournament of the season has not disappointed. 

With a shortened format, there have been a flurry of incredible matches each day, accompanied by some of the most varied, creative shot-making we've seen all season.

We've rounded up our five favorite shots from the Dongfeng • Voyah Wuhan Open through the quarterfinals. Check them out, and make sure to vote for your WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz shot of the week below.

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Maja Chwalinska's pinpoint right-handed lob

Chwalinska has had one of the best weeks of her career, and proven that her game can be just as effective off the clay as it is on it.

She's hit an array of remarkable, inventive shots through her first four wins, but none have been more impressive than this. Stretched wide by Maria Sakkari, the left-handed Chwalinska had to use her right hand to keep the ball in play, and the result was a perfectly weighted lob with her non-dominant hand. She then finished off the point with a backhand winner on the line.

Chwalinska won the match 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 to advance to her first career WTA 1000 semifinal.

Chwalinska finds pinpoint right-handed lob sets up backhand winner in Wuhan

Jelena Ostapenko's forehand slice winner on the run

Leading 4-1, 15-0 in the second set against Diana Shnaider, Ostapenko sprinted across the court to retrieve a backhand, and responded with a running forehand slice winner down the line.

In total control, and clearly feeling her shots, on the next point she hit a return winner into the same corner, this time a backhand.

Ostapenko won 7-6 (6), 6-1 to advance to the semifinals.

Hot shot: Jelena Ostapenko's forehand slice winner on the run in Wuhan

Diana Shnaider's wrong-footing forehand

Just incredible stuff from both players here, in one of the most athletic and reflexive points of the tournament.

After Shnaider hit a volley off of Karolina Muchova's forehand, she won the cat-and-mouse point with a wrong-footing forehand.

Shnaider won the match 7-5, 6-3.

'Harry Potter stuff out there!' Shnaider's cat-and-mouse magic in Wuhan

Jelena Ostapenko's drop shot winner on match point

Does it get more daring, and clutch, than this? On Jessica Pegula's third match point, Ostapenko stayed aggressive, hitting a barrage of forehands to keep her behind the baseline. Then she pulled the string and hit a drop shot, her first of the day, for the winner to stay alive in the match. 

Ostapenko ultimately came back to win, completing the improbable comeback 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3 in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

Hot shot: Jelena Ostapenko saves match point with audacious drop shot in Wuhan

Karolina Muchova's leaping behind-the-back overhead

Another week, another magic trick from the audacious and endlessly entertaining Muchova.

After Caty McNally brought Muchova in with the drop shot, Muchova pushed the American into the corner with a running forehand. McNally hit a very solid backhand lob, but Muchova tracked it and won the point, as only she can, with a leaping, twisting, behind-the-back overhead.

Muchova won the match 3-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (4).

Hot shot: Karolina Muchova's leaping behind-the-back overhead in Wuhan