Taiwan's Tsao Chia-yi Wins Taipei Open Doubles Title in Comeback Season

Taiwanese player Tsao Chia-yi, alongside her South Korean partner Bai Du-juan, captured the women's doubles championship at the Taipei Open on June 20. The "Taiwan-Korea alliance" triumphed over the top-seeded Japanese pair, Natsumi Kawaguchi and Akari Shimizu, with a score of 7-5, 6-1 in the final held at the Taipei Tennis Center.

This victory marks a significant milestone for the 22-year-old Tsao, as it is her first professional title since returning to the court in March after a 12-month suspension. She had previously reached two professional doubles finals since her comeback but finished as runner-up. "I'm very happy. My last championship feels like it was one or two years ago, and to win this in my hometown of Taipei is truly meaningful!" Tsao exclaimed.

Tsao was banned for 12 months by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in 2023 after inadvertently consuming a cold medicine containing a banned substance. Since her return, she feels her mindset has become more mature and stable. "I feel I can now face every failure calmly and maintain confidence in myself, bravely overcoming setbacks and challenges," she stated.

In the final match, Tsao and Bai navigated a tough contest against the speedy Japanese opponents. After an initial exchange of breaks, the Taiwanese-South Korean team broke their opponents' serve three consecutive times in the second set to secure the win. Tsao views this championship not as an endpoint but as a starting point for her renewed career, expressing optimism for future success.