Beijing — Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen won her first title in two years by defeating French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the China Open final on Sunday.
Zheng closed out the match with her first match point, serving an ace to Andreeva’s backhand side. She then dropped to the court, sobbing with emotion.
A Difficult Road Back
An elbow injury sent Zheng’s ranking tumbling from a career-high No. 4 last year to No. 160 this season. She entered her home tournament as a wild card ranked No. 54. Her victory will return her to the top 30, the WTA said.
“I’ve been through a very tough year,” Zheng said in English during a trophy presentation that turned into a bit of a karaoke session. She sang a pop song, drawing roars of appreciation from the fans in the arena.
A Strong Run Before the Injury Setback
Zheng enjoyed a stellar 2024. She reached the final of the Australian Open, won the singles title at the Paris Olympics on the clay of Roland Garros, and claimed her fifth career WTA title in Japan in October.
She also showed her old form returning at the U.S. Open in August. Competing as a qualifier, she advanced to the quarterfinals after twice rallying from 5-0 deficits to win her matches against Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek.
Andreeva Looks Ahead
Despite the loss, Andreeva is set to climb to a career-high No. 3 in the rankings. She held three set points in the first set Sunday, leading 5-4, before Zheng won 11 straight points to take the set.
“For sure today she played great,” Andreeva said of Zheng. “It’s also very nice to see her playing better and coming back.”