Zheng Triumphs in Beijing Final
Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic champion, secured her first title in two years on Sunday by defeating French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the China Open final in Beijing. Zheng sealed the match on her first opportunity, delivering an ace to Andreeva's backhand side, then collapsed to the court in tears. The victory makes her the first Chinese player to win the WTA event in Beijing.[S1][S6][S8]
Zheng's ranking had dropped sharply because of an elbow injury, falling from a career-high No. 4 last year to No. 160 this season. She entered her home tournament as a wild card at No. 54 and will now return to the top 30, according to the WTA. In 2024, Zheng reached the Australian Open final, won the Paris Olympics singles title at Roland Garros, and claimed a fifth career WTA tour title in Japan in October. As a qualifier at the U.S. Open in August, she showed her old form by reaching the quarterfinals, twice rallying from 5-0 deficits to defeat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek.[S1]
Andreeva, despite the loss, is set to rise to a career-high No. 3 ranking. She held three points to win the first set, leading 5-4, before Zheng won 11 consecutive points to take the set. Andreeva acknowledged Zheng's performance, saying that Zheng played great and that it was nice to see her playing better and coming back.[S1]
