Zheng Qinwen (born 8 October 2002) is a Chinese professional tennis player. She has been ranked world No. 4 by the WTA,achieved in June 2025,and is only the second Chinese player to reach the top 5 in women's singles after Li Na. Zheng has won five career singles titles,including the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics,becoming the first Asian tennis player to win an Olympic gold medal in singles.
Zheng was born in Shiyan,Hubei. Until the age of three,she spent time in her maternal grandmother's home in Chengdu,Sichuan,where her mother originated.[3] Zheng began playing tennis at age seven.[4] Two months later,eight-year-old Zheng left her family in Shiyan to train in Wuhan.[4][5] About three years later,she moved to Beijing to train with Carlos Rodriguez,the former coach of Zheng's idol Li Na,and then moved to Barcelona in Spain with her mother in 2019.[4][5] She began working with coach Pere Riba in 2021.[2]
At the French Open,Zheng defeated Maryna Zanevska on her debut at that major.[16] Next,she beat former French Open champion and 19th seed,Simona Halep,her first top-20 win,to move to the third round of a major for the first time in her career.[17] She moved into the fourth round after AlizéCornet retired from the match.[18] She lost to top seed and world No. 1,Iga Świątek in the fourth round,citing menstrual cramps as a contributing factor.[19] Despite the loss,Zheng stated she was still happy about her performance and glad that she was able to play against the world's number one.[20] As a result,she moved to a new career-high of No. 54,on 6 June 2022,[21] breaking into the top 50 (at No. 46)[22] a week later after winning her first WTA 125 title at the Open Internacional de Valencia,defeating compatriot Wang Xiyu.[23]
At the Pan Pacific Open in Japan,Zheng became the first Chinese teenager to reach a WTA Tour final which she lost to Liudmila Samsonova.[34] As a result,she reached the top 30 at world No. 28,on 26 September 2022,becoming the first Chinese teenager to do so.[34] Zheng was named WTA Newcomer of the Year.[35]
Zheng reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinals at the 2023 US Open.
The grass-court season yielded disappointing results,as she lost all three singles matches that she played.[46] She received a wildcard into her next tournament in Palermo. As the second seed,she double bagelled Sara Errani,[47] then beat Diane Parry,[48]Emma Navarro[49] and Mayar Sherif[50] to reach her second tour-level final in which she beat Jasmine Paolini to win her first WTA Tour title.[51]
As the 23rd seed,Zheng defeated Nadia Podoroska[52] and Kaia Kanepi[53] to reach the third round of the US Open,where she beat Lucia Bronzetti in a three sets.[54] She defeated fifth seed Ons Jabeur,[55] to advance to her maiden major quarterfinal,losing to world No. 2 and eventual finalist,Aryna Sabalenka.[56] Fissette left Zheng after the US Open to rejoin Osaka who planned to return to the tour after giving birth.[57] Zheng won gold in singles at the Asian Games in September 2023.[58]
2024:Olympic champion,Australian Open &WTA Finals runner-up
Zheng made her debut at the United Cup as China's No. 1 player,part of the team's debut at the tournament,and recorded her first win to clinch the tie with Czechia.[65] Team China qualified for the quarterfinals but was defeated by eventual finalist,team Poland.[citation needed] At the Australian Open,Zheng reached her first major final defeating Ashlyn Krueger,[66]Katie Boulter,[67] compatriot Wang Yafan,[68] and Océane Dodin[69] on her way to the quarterfinals. In the last eight,she defeated Anna Kalinskaya,[70] before beating qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the semifinals.[71] She lost the final to second seed Aryna Sabalenka.[72] As a result,she reached the top 10 in the singles rankings,the second Chinese player to do so after Li Na.[73]
Zheng defended her title at Palermo in July,defeating second seed Karolína Muchová in three sets in the final,[74] having registered wins over Sara Errani,[75]Petra Martić,[76] seventh seed Jaqueline Cristian[77] and fourth seed Diane Parry[78] in earlier rounds,all without dropping a set.
At the WTA Finals in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia,Zheng lost her opening group match against Aryna Sabalenka[103] but then defeated Elena Rybakina[104] and Jasmine Paolini[105] to reach the semifinals where she overcame Barbora Krejčíková,in straight sets.[106][107] She lost the final to Coco Gauff in a match which went to a third set tiebreak.[108] Despite the defeat,Zheng reached a career-high ranking of world No. 5 following the tournament.[109]
Having lost her opening match at the Madrid Open to Anastasia Potapova,[125] Zheng overcame Olga Danilović,[126] 26th seed Magdalena Fręch[127] and Bianca Andreescu[128] to reach the quarterfinals at the Italian Open,where she defeated world No. 1,Aryna Sabalenka,for the first time,after losing their previous six meetings.[129] She lost in the semifinals to fourth seed Coco Gauff in a match which went to a deciding third set tiebreak.[130] Zheng reached the quarterfinals at the French Open,losing to Aryna Sabalenka.[131]
On 19 July,Zheng announced she had undergone surgery on her right elbow the previous day and would be out of action for an unspecified amount of time,saying on social media that she had been dealing with "persistent pain" in the joint "over the past months" and the procedure was a "necessary step toward a better version of myself on court."[135][136]
Zheng made her return to the WTA Tour in the last week of September at the China Open where,as seventh seed,she received a bye and then defeated qualifier Emiliana Arango to reach the third round.[137] There she retired while trailing in the third set against 26th seed Linda Noskovádue to an issue with her recently operated upon elbow.[138]
Personal life
Zheng has cited Li Na—the only Chinese player to win a singles major title—as a source of inspiration.[5][139] In 2024,Zheng said:"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."[140] Zheng has also credited her parents' support and guidance as a reason for her success.[139]
Following her gold medal win at the 2024 Summer Olympics,Zheng said that she had always wanted "to become one of the Asians that can inspire young kids and make them love tennis more".[141][142] She also said she looked up to Liu Xiang,a Chinese hurdler whose win in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics was China's first gold in any men's track and field event.[141][139] In a 2024 interview with Sky Sports,Zheng said her hobbies include walking with her family,reading,and singing.[143] She also enjoys roller coaster rides and is a fan of the K-pop group Blackpink.[144][145]
1 2 Thanvi, Ishika (5 August 2024). "Meet Zheng Qinwen, Chinese Gold Medalist Who Also Beat World No 1". SheThePeople. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024. Following her Olympic gold win, Zheng expressed her desire to inspire young Asians to pursue tennis, much like her idol Li Na and hurdler Liu Xiang, China's first Olympic gold medalist in men's track and field. Zheng attributes her success to the unwavering support of her parents...
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