After finishing runners-up three times on tour, Eudice Chong finally cemented her position as the first player from Hong Kong to capture a WTA doubles title when she partnered Magali Kempen of Belgium to beat top-seeded Aldila Sutjiadi/Vera Zvonareva 6-3 2-6 [10-6] in the final of the 250 Morocco Open.
“I had three WTA 250 finals under my belt, and I knew I just had to get over this hump to make the next big jump. Now, my goal is to push for the 500s and 1000s, and prove that there is where I belong,” said Chong.
“Today, we just stayed really calm and continued to play our game even after we lost the second set,” she added.
Michael Cheng, President of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, remarked, “I want to congratulate Eudice Chong and her team on winning this hugely important title. We hope this landmark achievement will inspire young players to excel on the international stage. Hong Kong can more than just compete—we can succeed at the highest levels of the sport as well.”
“Thanks to unwavering government backing, the Hong Kong Sports Institute and our commercial partners are proud to witness local tennis players rising to prominence on the global stage.”
“We extend special thanks to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau for extending our Tier A sport status. This continued recognition enables our athletes to train with full dedication and provides them with the optimal platform to compete against the world’s best,” he added.
Dr. Derek Ling, a long-time HKCTA Councilor and currently the Vice Chairperson of the Player Development Committee, remarked, “We’ve come a long way. We had Coleman winning the first ATP Challenger in singles earlier this month and now Eudice the first WTA title in doubles. No player from Hong Kong has won at these levels before. This is a historic win and a glorious day for Hong Kong tennis.”
In the final, there were plenty of opportunities, but both sides defended well when they had to, as Chong and Kempen warded off 9 of 12 break points, while their opponents saved 8 of 10 in all.
However, after the teams split the opening two sets, Chong and Kempen came alive in the third set super-tiebreak. Trailing 5-4, the Hong Kong-Belgian duo put together a devastating five-point run to catapult to a commanding 9-5 lead before they settled for the 6-3 2-6 [10-6] final scoreline.
Chong and her partner carved out seven mini-breaks in the super-breaker with a frenzy of piercing returns and consistent groundstrokes that handcuffed the lurking forecourt threat of Zvonareva and Sutjiadi.
Coming into the final, Zvonareva and Sutjiadi were the favoured team. World-ranked 35th and 48th respectively this week, they have between them 22 career doubles titles on tour.
Moreover, Zvonareva was an accomplished player once ranked as high as No. 2 in the world in singles back in 2010, the year she finished runner-up at Wimbledon to Serena Williams and at the US Open to Kim Clijsters. Although she never won a Grand Slam singles title, she owns several major silverware.
This includes a bronze medal in singles at the Beijing Olympics, women’s doubles titles at the US Open in 2006 and 2020, and the Australian Open in 2012. She also captured mixed doubles titles at the US Open in 2004 and Wimbledon in 2006.
Remarkably, Zvonareva peaked at No. 7 in the world in doubles in 2024, at age 39.
Meanwhile, Sutjiadi got to a career-high No. 26 after she partnered Miyu Kato to reach the WTA Elite Trophy in October 2023. She registered her best performances at the majors when she managed to reach the last sixteen of all four events in 2023.
In 2018, she partnered Christopher Rungkat to beat Thailand’s fifth-seeded Sonchat Ratiwatana and Luksika Kumkhum in the mixed doubles final to win Indonesia’s first tennis medal at the Asian Games in 16 years.
Kempen has the lone WTA 250 Cluj Napoca title to her name, while Chong has yet to win her maiden one at that level, finishing runner-up thrice at Hua Hin in 2024, Guangzhou in 2025, and at the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, earlier this year.
However, the HK rep has captured three WTA 125 titles partnering Chinese Taipei’s Liang En-Shuo, winning at Changsha and Jingshan in 2025 and Manila earlier this year.
On the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour, Chong has won six singles and 34 doubles titles to date. She reached a career-best WTA ranking of No. 213 in singles (26 Dec 2022), while her doubles ranking is projected to rise to a new high of No. 71 next week.
Chong is only the second player from Hong Kong to rank inside the world’s top 100 in women’s doubles since Patricia Hy first accomplished the feat in 1987.
Results
Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem
Rabat, Morocco
18-23 May 2026
First Round
Eudice Chong/Magali Kempen (HKG/BEL) d. Rutuja Bhosale/Peangtarn Plipuech (IND/THA) 6-3 6-1
Quarterfinal
Eudice Chong/Magali Kempen (HKG/BEL) d. Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers/Lara Salden (BEL) 6-3 6-1
Semifinal
Eudice Chong/Magali Kempen (HKG/BEL) d. (4)Anastasia Detiuc/Irina Khromacheva (CZE) 6-4 6-1
Final
Eudice Chong/Magali Kempen (HKG/BEL) d. (1)Aldila Sutjiadi/Vera Zvonareva (INA) 6-3 2-6 [10-6]