World No.18 Wang Qiang has parted ways with her coach Peter McNamara. The Australian coach announced the end of their four-year partnership in a statement.
"After nearly four years of close collaboration, both Qiang Wang and myself have decided that our partnership has come to an end," McNamara said in a statement.
"I would like to show gratitude towards Qiang Wang, and her entire team around her, for these exciting and joyful four years together that created an amazing journey. Qiang has taught me patience and understanding, at the same time as I have lived a dream that she made possible. I would like to thank her for all and wish her all the best in the future."
Wang hired McNamara in the Spring of 2015. Then ranked just inside the Top 100, Wang began to build a more aggressive game-style under the Australian's tutelage. She earned her first Top 100 finish in 2016 at No.70, then built on that to finish at No.45 in 2017.
Wang and McNamara saw all the pieces finally come together in 2018. Ranked No.85, Wang stunned Venus Williams in the first round of Roland Garros, the first of four Top 10 wins last year. Buoyed by a new-found confidence, she proceeded to win her first tour-level title in Nanchang last summer, win the Gold Medal at the Asian Games, and win another title in Guangzhou.
The highlight of Wang's career came during the Asian swing, where she became the first Chinese player to make back-to-back semifinals in Wuhan and Beijing. She followed those runs up by making the Hong Kong final and then qualifying for the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, where she lost to Ashleigh Barty in the final. During that final stretch of the season, Wang tallied wins over Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Madison Keys.
Wang finished 2018 at No.20, becoming the first Chinese player to finish the year inside the Top 20 since Li Na's retirement in 2014.
After advancing to the third round of the Australian Open in January - her career-best result in Melbourne - Wang now sits at a career-high No.18. She is currently entered to play the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which begins on February 17th.
