Zheng Qinwen reached the Grand Slam final for the first time. In fact, she is the first Chinese to do so in ten years.
Zheng Shuang, who grew up watching Li Na, the last Chinese Grand Slam champion, said she had watched the 2014 Australian Open final “at least 10 times.” If you regularly browse tennis social media, you will no doubt have seen the image of Zheng Shuang watching Li Na win 10 years ago, shocked by her achievement. Tennis in China is expected to flourish as a result.
This is Zheng Qinwen watching Li Na win the 2014 Australian Open.
Ten years later, Zheng Shuang reached the 2024 Australian Open women’s final and became the first Chinese singles finalist after Li Na to reach a Grand Slam final.
🥹👏🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/N2PRhT0u45
— Olly🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) January 25, 2024
Only now has this goal begun to be achieved.
A video that went viral this week showed Li sneaking up on Zheng during an interview and greeting her like she was a best friend – giving her a slap on the butt. Zheng said they had barely met before this competition. It’s not every day that you not only meet your idols, but also become friends with them.
Li Na specifically mentioned Qin Wen in the post-match interview today, which surprised her🥹
🎥 @Australian Open pic.twitter.com/BozJdXRJvD
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) January 20, 2024
But before continuing, please stop and read this article by Matt Futterman. This is a sad story from Zheng Qinwen’s childhood. When she was seven years old, she was taken to Wuhan by her father to show her talents to higher-level coaches.
What are the major details her father is hiding from her? There she will stay.
He will not.
What else do you need to know about her?
Australian Open Tour
The end of Zheng Zhi’s 2023 season was canceled due to the return of Naomi Osaka. Wim Fissette has been her coach and key to her climb up the rankings in 2023, and she reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open before being beaten by her opponent in Saturday’s final. Opponent Aryna Sabalenka blocked.
Osaka’s return to competition after giving birth to her first child, Shay, meant she was reunited with Fisette. Zheng was completely shattered. “I have nothing to say about Wim Fiset,” she told reporters earlier this week.
This led to Zheng doing the same and reuniting with coach Pere Riba, who played alongside Coco Gauff during their successful run at the 2023 US Open.
Zheng Zhi’s path to the finals did not encounter any major obstacles. She has never played against a player ranked in the top 50. Her highest-ranked opponent is Britain’s Katie Boulter (54). That is, she spent more than 11 hours in court.
This creates a slight problem when analyzing Zheng’s game, as she hasn’t been tested by anyone remotely close to where she ranks in the Grand Slams.
style of play
Sliding and stretching around the court, Zheng uses all of her 5-foot-10 (178 centimeters) frame to reach the ball and return it with a forehand, often chipping in long diagonals. As a result, she shot a winning 165 over the past two weeks. Sabalenka took note of the skill, saying after her semifinal win: “I think her (Zheng’s) forehand is her best shot. It’s pretty heavy.
The new top 10 player also really tested the length of the course, the batting line, leaving little room for error.
In addition to her powerful forehand, her serve is also something to behold. She hit a total of 48 aces, the best in the women’s division of the tournament. In comparison, Sabalenka ranks third with half of the total.
Zheng Qinwen celebrates defeating Dayana Yastremska in the semifinals (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images)
The main battle she faces is overthinking. “I think at the beginning of the first set I was thinking too much… of course, that was one of my problems,” she said after the quarterfinals. “So when I lost the first set straight away, I tried to tell myself: ‘Stay focused. Don’t overthink it. Just focus now.”
Zheng said Lee offered her a similar observation: “It’s very simple advice: Don’t overthink it.”
The Rod Laver Arena is expected to be filled with chants of “come on!” on Saturday as Cheng hopes to emulate her idol and win at Melbourne Park.
Teacher Zheng was very happy to enter the finals. Someone just reminded her to stop thinking about it.
(Top photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
