Zheng Qinwen

2.1. Early life and education

Zheng Qinwen was born on October 8, 2002, in Shiyan, Hubei, China. Until the age of three, she spent time at her maternal grandmother's home in Chengdu, Sichuan, her mother's hometown. She began playing tennis at the age of seven. Just two months later, at eight years old, Zheng left her family in Shiyan to pursue intensive training in Wuhan. Around three years later, at the age of eleven, she moved to Beijing to train under Carlos Rodriguez, who was notably the former coach of Zheng's idol, Li Na. In 2019, she relocated to Barcelona, Spain, with her mother to continue her training. Zheng also attended Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

2.2. Coaching and training

Zheng Qinwen's professional development has been shaped by her relationships with several key coaches. She began working with Spanish coach Pere Riba in 2021. In mid-2023, after the 2023 French Open, Zheng split with Riba and started collaborating with Wim Fissette, who had previously coached Naomi Osaka. However, Fissette's tenure was brief, as he left Zheng after the 2023 US Open to rejoin Osaka, who was planning her return to the tour after childbirth. At the end of 2023, during the off-season, Zheng rehired Pere Riba, reuniting with him for the 2024 season.

3.1. Professional debut and early career (2021-2022)

Zheng made her professional debut in 2018. In January 2021, she won the Tennis Future Hamburg in Germany, a 25.00 K USD event, defeating Linda Fruhvirtová in the final. On June 20, 2021, she secured the 60.00 K USD Macha Lake Open title in Staré Splavy by defeating Aleksandra Krunić in straight sets. Her WTA Tour debut came at the Palermo Ladies Open in July 2021, where she notably upset second seed Liudmila Samsonova in the first round before being defeated by Jaqueline Cristian in her subsequent match.

The 2022 season marked several breakthroughs for Zheng. At the Melbourne Summer Set 1 in January, she reached her first tour-level semifinal, overcoming Mai Hontama, former world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva, and Ana Konjuh. She eventually lost to second seed Simona Halep in the semifinals. A week later, she qualified for her first major event, the Australian Open, where she defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round before falling to fifth seed Maria Sakkari.

At the 2022 French Open, Zheng made her debut at the major, defeating Maryna Zanevska. She then secured her first top-20 victory by beating former French Open champion and 19th seed Simona Halep, advancing to the third round of a major for the first time. She progressed to the fourth round after Alizé Cornet's retirement. On May 30, 2022, she was defeated by top seed and world No. 1 Iga Świątek in the fourth round, later attributing menstrual cramps as a contributing factor. Despite the loss, her performance propelled her to a new career-high ranking of No. 54 on June 6, 2022, and she entered the top 50 at world No. 46 a week later after winning her first WTA 125 title at the Open Internacional de Valencia, defeating compatriot Wang Xiyu.

Zheng debuted at Wimbledon, where she defeated Sloane Stephens in the first round and Greet Minnen in the second, before losing to the eventual champion, Elena Rybakina, in the third round. In August, at the Canadian Open, she secured her first top-10 win by defeating fifth seed Ons Jabeur (who retired due to injury) in the second round, and then beat Bianca Andreescu in the third round to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal. She lost to 14th seed Karolína Plíšková in three sets. At the US Open, Zheng defeated 16th seed Jeļena Ostapenko in the first round and Anastasia Potapova in the second, but was beaten by Jule Niemeier in the third round.

At the Pan Pacific Open in Japan, Zheng became the first Chinese teenager to reach a WTA Tour final, where she lost to Liudmila Samsonova. This result saw her reach the top 30 at world No. 28 on September 26, 2022, making her the first Chinese teenager to achieve this ranking. Her impressive year culminated in her being named the WTA Newcomer of the Year.

3.2. Career turning points (2023)

Zheng started the 2023 season with a notable win over former world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit at the Adelaide International, saving match points in the third set. She then lost to Victoria Azarenka in the second round. At her debut at the Italian Open, she defeated Alizé Cornet, Anna Bondár, and Wang Xiyu to reach the quarterfinals, where she was defeated by 11th seed Veronika Kudermetova. This performance elevated her to world No. 19 in the WTA rankings, making her the fifth Chinese player to break into the top 20. At the French Open, as the 19th seed, she defeated Tamara Zidanšek in the first round but lost to Yulia Putintseva in the second. Following the French Open, Zheng briefly split from Pere Riba and began working with Wim Fissette. Her grass-court season yielded disappointing results, as she lost all three singles matches she played.

Zheng received a wildcard into the Palermo Ladies Open. As the second seed, she delivered a dominant performance, defeating Sara Errani with a double bagel (6-0, 6-0), then overcoming Diane Parry, Emma Navarro, and Mayar Sherif to reach her second tour-level final. In the final, she defeated Jasmine Paolini to win her first WTA Tour title.

As the 23rd seed at the US Open, Zheng defeated Nadia Podoroska and Kaia Kanepi to reach the third round, where she then beat Lucia Bronzetti in a three-set match. She caused an upset by defeating fifth seed and defending finalist Ons Jabeur to advance to her maiden major quarterfinal, where she ultimately lost to world No. 2 and eventual finalist, Aryna Sabalenka. After the US Open, Fissette left Zheng to rejoin Naomi Osaka.

In September 2023, Zheng won the gold medal in singles at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. She then captured her second career title on home soil at the WTA 500 Zhengzhou Open, defeating Barbora Krejčíková in the final. At the Elite Trophy, she defeated compatriot Zhu Lin in the semifinals before losing the final to Beatriz Haddad Maia. At the end of the season, Zheng was recognized with the WTA Most Improved Player award. In the off-season, she rehired Pere Riba as her coach.

3.3. Peak performance and major achievements (2024-present)

Zheng began 2024 by making her debut at the United Cup as China's No. 1 player. She secured her first win to clinch the tie against Czechia, contributing to Team China's qualification for the quarterfinals, where they were defeated by eventual finalist Team Poland.

At the Australian Open, Zheng reached her first major final. She defeated Ashlyn Krueger, Katie Boulter, compatriot Wang Yafan, and Océane Dodin en route to the quarterfinals. In the last eight, she overcame Anna Kalinskaya before beating qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the semifinals. She became the fourth Chinese player to reach a major semifinal (after Zheng Jie, Li Na, and Peng Shuai) and the second to reach a major final since Li Na in 2014. In the final, she lost to second seed Aryna Sabalenka. Following this achievement, she entered the top 10 in the singles rankings, becoming only the second Chinese player to do so after Li Na.

In July, Zheng successfully defended her title at the Palermo Ladies Open, defeating second seed Karolína Muchová in three sets in the final. She had previously secured wins over Sara Errani, Petra Martić, seventh seed Jaqueline Cristian, and fourth seed Diane Parry in earlier rounds, all without dropping a set.

At the Paris Olympics, Zheng's remarkable run saw her defeat Sara Errani, Arantxa Rus, Emma Navarro, Angelique Kerber, and top seed Iga Świątek on her way to the gold medal match. On August 3, 2024, Zheng defeated Donna Vekić of Croatia in the final, securing the gold medal in women's singles. This made her the first Asian player to win an Olympic gold medal in a singles event and marked China's second-ever Olympic tennis gold, and the first since the women's doubles in 2004.

In October, Zheng reached the semifinals at the China Open, with wins over Kamilla Rakhimova, Nadia Podoroska, Amanda Anisimova, and 17th seed Mirra Andreeva, before losing to Karolína Muchová. The following week, she was the runner-up at the Wuhan Open, losing to top seed Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in the final. Her path to the final included victories against Jaqueline Cristian, Leylah Fernandez, third seed Jasmine Paolini, and Wang Xinyu. Entering as the top seed, Zheng defeated Moyuka Uchijima, eighth seed Leylah Fernandez, and sixth seed Diana Shnaider to reach the final at the Pan Pacific Open. She then overcame wildcard entrant Sofia Kenin in straight sets to claim her third title of the year and secure a spot at the WTA Finals for the first time in her career.

At the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Zheng lost her opening group match against Aryna Sabalenka but then defeated Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini to reach the semifinals. She overcame Barbora Krejčíková in straight sets to book her spot in the championship match. She lost the final to Coco Gauff in a three-hour thriller that went to a third-set tiebreak. Despite the defeat, Zheng reached a career-high ranking of world No. 5 following the tournament.

The early 2025 season saw Zheng face some struggles. Seeded fifth at the Australian Open, she defeated qualifier Anca Todoni but then lost in the second round to Laura Siegemund. She subsequently lost her opening matches at the Qatar Open to Ons Jabeur and at the Dubai Tennis Championships against Peyton Stearns. These results were partly attributed to an elbow injury she had sustained the previous season, which had been affecting her form. Zheng and her team had even considered withdrawing from the Australian Open due to the injury.

3.4. Major tournament results

Zheng Qinwen has made significant impacts in major tournaments throughout her career:

• Grand Slams**: She reached her first major final at the 2024 Australian Open, becoming the second Chinese player to do so. She also reached the fourth round of the 2022 French Open and the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open and 2024 US Open.
• Olympics**: At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won the gold medal in women's singles, becoming the first Asian tennis player to achieve this feat in a singles event.
• WTA Finals**: She reached the final of the 2024 WTA Finals, finishing as runner-up.

3.5. Awards and recognition

Zheng Qinwen has received several prestigious awards and recognitions for her achievements:

• WTA Newcomer of the Year**: Awarded in 2022, recognizing her impressive debut and rapid ascent on the WTA Tour.
• WTA Most Improved Player of the Year**: Awarded in 2023, highlighting her significant progress and breakthrough performances, including winning her first WTA Tour title and reaching a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
• Asian Games Gold Medal**: In September 2023, she secured a gold medal in women's singles at the Asian Games.
• Olympic Gold Medal**: In August 2024, she won the gold medal in women's singles at the Paris Olympics, a historic achievement for Asian tennis.

4.1. Sources of inspiration

Zheng Qinwen has frequently cited Li Na, the only Chinese player to win a singles major title, as a significant source of inspiration. Zheng stated in 2024, "I watched her since I was a little kid so I'm trying to follow in her steps. She inspired me a lot when I was a child." She has also credited the unwavering support and guidance of her parents as a key reason for her success. Additionally, Zheng looks up to Liu Xiang, a Chinese hurdler whose gold medal win in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics was China's first gold in any men's track and field event. Following her Olympic gold medal win in 2024, Zheng expressed her desire to "become one of the Asians that can inspire young kids and make them love tennis more."

4.2. Hobbies and interests

Outside of her demanding tennis career, Zheng Qinwen enjoys a variety of personal pursuits. Her hobbies include walking with her family, reading, and singing, particularly Chinese songs. She also has a fondness for roller coaster rides and is a devoted fan of the popular K-pop group Blackpink.

5.1. Grand Slam tournament performance timelines

Zheng Qinwen's performance timeline in singles at the four Grand Slam tournaments is detailed below.

5.2. WTA Tour and Olympic records

Zheng Qinwen has reached a total of 10 WTA Tour singles finals, winning 5 titles and finishing as runner-up 5 times. She also holds an Olympic gold medal in singles.

6.1. Impact on the sport

Zheng Qinwen's achievements have played a crucial role in advancing Chinese and Asian tennis on the global stage. By reaching the top 10 in the WTA rankings and becoming the second Chinese player to do so after Li Na, she has demonstrated the potential for Asian athletes in the sport. Her historic gold medal win at the 2024 Summer Olympics as the first Asian singles player to achieve this feat further broke barriers and significantly raised the profile of tennis in the region. Her consistent performances in major tournaments, including a Grand Slam final and a WTA Finals runner-up finish, contribute to a growing interest in tennis within China and across Asia.

6.2. Inspiration for future generations

Zheng Qinwen serves as a powerful and positive role model for aspiring young athletes, especially in Asia. Her journey, marked by dedication from a young age and perseverance through challenges, resonates deeply with those who dream of pursuing a career in sports. Her stated desire to "inspire young kids and make them love tennis more" reflects her understanding of her role beyond just competition. By achieving top-tier success and breaking new ground for Asian tennis players, she actively contributes to inspiring broader participation in the sport and encourages young talents to pursue their ambitions with determination.