Another Remarkable Comeback
For the second time in three days, Zheng Qinwen overcame a 5-0 deficit to win a set. After doing so against Madison Keys in the third round, she repeated the feat in the opening set against Iga Swiatek, then closed out a 7-5, 6-3 victory to reach the US Open quarterfinals for the third time. Zheng, the Olympic gold medalist from China, became the first qualifier to reach the final eight in Flushing Meadows since Emma Raducanu won the title in 2021.[S1][S2][S3]
The match saw Swiatek race to a 5-0 lead, but Zheng won seven consecutive games to take the first set. Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion, failed to convert set points and made numerous unforced errors as Zheng's consistency grew. Zheng's comeback was even more impressive given that she had to go through qualifying this year after elbow surgery, and her 2026 record was 11-13 coming into the tournament.[S1][S2][S3]
Historic Win Over Swiatek
Zheng improved to 2-7 against Swiatek, with both wins coming on major stages: the 2024 Paris Olympics and now the US Open. She also became the first qualifier or lucky loser to beat Swiatek at a Grand Slam, as the former World No. 1 had been 15-0 in such matches. Zheng's victory was particularly significant as she had lost to Swiatek in seven of their previous eight meetings.[S1][S2][S3]
Swiatek, who received treatment on her left thigh during the second set, said the injury had little impact. She attributed her loss to making mistakes from easy balls, while Zheng stopped making errors. Zheng, who forgot the score at 4-5 in the first set due to her focus, said her comeback was not luck but a result of her concentration.[S1][S2][S4]
Looking Ahead
Zheng will face either two-time champion Naomi Osaka or No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva also advanced, beating Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time. Andreeva will face either Coco Gauff or Iva Jovic.[S1][S3]
