NAGOYA, Japan (AP) — Wang Xiyu defeated Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-1 to win women's singles tennis gold on Friday at the Asian Games. The victory also gave her an automatic berth at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Not bad for one day's work.
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China's Wang Xiyu carries a flag as she celebrates her win over China's Zhang Shuai during the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
China's Wang Xiyu hits a backhand to China's Zhang Shuai during the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
China's Wang Xiyu celebrates winning a point over China's Zhang Shuai during the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
China's Wang Xiyu, left, and compatriot Zhang Shuai hug after Wang won the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
China's Wang Xiyu prepares to serve to China's Zhang Shuai during the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The final between the two Chinese women was a match between friends. The 37-year-old Zhang — winner of two Grand Slam doubles titles in her career — has been a mentor to many younger Chinese players including the 25-year-old Wang.
“She is someone I really respect,” Wang said of Zhang. “Everything that she’s been through is also a form of encouragement to me.”
“Still, on the court, the biggest form of respect I can show is by bringing my best to play her," Wang added. "This is what sport, what elite competition is like. Your actions speak for you.”
Wang reached the final on Thursday by defeating pre-tournament favorite Alex Eala of the Philippines 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, Eala, ranked No. 18 on the WTA Tour, skipped the ongoing China Open in Beijing to play in Japan and represent her country.
Eala picked up a bronze medal, as did the other loser in the semifinals, Yuliya Putintseva,
Eala could face a $10,000 fine for withdrawing from the mandatory 1000-level WTA event.
Wang also spoke about Zhang's influence, even before the gold-medal match.
“Zhang Shuai has always been a great role model.” Wang said after she defeated Eala. ”She is always so generous with sharing her experiences, and is so encouraging towards younger players like myself."
"She's a glue for the team and plays a great role in showing us how to support each other.”
This will be Wang’s second trip to the Olympics. She lost two years ago at the Paris Games in the third round to Iga Swiatek of Poland.
See full AP coverage of Asian sports here
China's Wang Xiyu carries a flag as she celebrates her win over China's Zhang Shuai during the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
China's Wang Xiyu hits a backhand to China's Zhang Shuai during the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
China's Wang Xiyu celebrates winning a point over China's Zhang Shuai during the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
China's Wang Xiyu, left, and compatriot Zhang Shuai hug after Wang won the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
China's Wang Xiyu prepares to serve to China's Zhang Shuai during the Women's singles final tennis match at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
NEW DELHI (AP) — The Indian airline captain who helped thwart an apparent attempt to crash a FlyDubai flight described Friday how he fought for his life in the minutes after his co-pilot stabbed him and the plane began a steep descent.
Capt. Smit Machchhar, recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised video call that he knew he had to get back on his feet to save his passengers.
“I had so many wounds. I had fallen down,” he said from the hospital, his head bandaged and tubes in his nose, before breaking down as he recalled the attack.
“I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives,” he told Modi.
Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, was seriously injured in Wednesday’s attack but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and restrain the attacker as the Boeing 737 descended sharply, witnesses and Israeli authorities said. He has been hailed as a hero, with world leaders saying he helped avert a disaster.
The flight, carrying 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing. FlyDubai said Wednesday that the jet was secured by on-duty crew members “who diverted and landed the aircraft safely.” A regional official said the crew members were pilots in training.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker, an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and was undergoing interrogation there. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.
Modi told Machchhar his “courage, patience, and presence of mind” saved many lives.
Machchhar said his flying experience allowed him to sense the plane’s steep descent even after he was knocked down by the attacker.
“I have been flying planes for 17 years and serving as a captain for the last 11 years. I can sense exactly what is happening with the aircraft even with my eyes closed. When I was down, I could feel that the aircraft was plummeting,” he said.
Machchhar said that during those difficult moments, he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the monkey god, and traditionally recited as a prayer for strength and courage.
“Lord Hanuman gave me courage,” he told Modi.
Machchhar, who is married and has two children, has worked for FlyDubai for about four years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before joining the airline, he spent 11 years with SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost carrier, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He logged more than 9,750 flying hours with SpiceJet.
Philip Kean, CEO of Mainland Air, the New Zealand flight school where Machchhar trained, said pilots are taught how to take over if a fellow crew member becomes incapacitated. But the training does not typically prepare them for a stabbing attack by a colleague, he told The Associated Press on Friday.
“I don’t think there’s much in the handbook for being stabbed,” Kean said.
“You’re friends and you’re flying together,” he said. “Nobody would expect … a person to have a go at you like that.”
Associated Press journalist Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed to this report.
News media personnel stand outside the building where relatives of Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot for Flydubai, previously lived in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
This screengrab from Narendra Modi YouTube Channel shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking with FlyDubai pilot Capt. Smit Machchhar on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (Narendra Modi YouTube Channel via AP )
News media personnel film in the building where relatives of Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot for Flydubai, previously lived in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
A teacher from Gurukul School of Art paints a portrait honoring Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot with FlyDubai, in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
This undated photo released on Israel's Foreign Ministry social media shows Indian Capt. Smit Machchhar in the cockpit of a plane in an unknown location. Machchhar was at the controls of a FlyDubai flight that was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Israel's Foreign Ministry via AP)
