Zheng Qinwen's Emotional China Open Win: From 122nd to Champion

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-12

Zheng Qinwen just did something no Chinese woman has ever done before. On Sunday, she won the China Open, defeating Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the final at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing. And she did it as a wildcard, ranked 54th in the world. Talk about a comeback story. ### How Zheng Turned the Tide in the First Set Andreeva, the fourth seed, came out firing. She led 2-0 in both sets and was up 5-4 in the first. Zheng, ranked 54th, stared down three set points at that stage. She saved them all, leveled at 5-5, and then won every single point after that. She closed the set with an ace. Just like that, the momentum shifted. ### The Second Set: Same Script, Different Ending Andreeva kept making errors, but the score stayed tight until 4-4. That's when Zheng pounced. She broke serve in the ninth game with a forehand that kissed the line. Suddenly she was up 5-4. A double fault late in the final game gave Andreeva a glimmer of hope, but Zheng wasn't having it. She fired another ace on her first match point and collapsed to the court in tears. The home crowd went wild – they'd been cheering before points even ended, that's how loud it was. ### From Elbow Surgery to Ranking 122nd: Zheng's Tough Road Back Zheng is a former world No. 4 and the reigning Olympic champion. But 2025 was brutal. She had elbow surgery and struggled with form and fitness. Her ranking plummeted to 122nd this season. This win? Her first WTA 1000 title and her sixth overall. Her last trophy came in October 2024 in Tokyo. She also made the quarterfinals of the US Open this year. Not bad for someone who was written off. > "I've been through a very, very tough year," Zheng said during the trophy ceremony. She congratulated Andreeva on winning the French Open earlier this season, then sang a song about chasing the "light of dreams" for the crowd. Pure class. ### What This Win Means for the Rankings Zheng will jump 31 places to No. 23 when the new rankings come out Monday. Andreeva, who started the week fifth, will rise to third despite the loss. The 19-year-old Russian was playing in her first China Open final. These two had met once before, in the 2024 China Open quarterfinals, where Zheng won in three sets. This time, she needed only two. No Chinese player had reached the final of this event since Chen Li lost to Wang Shi-ting of Chinese Taipei in 1996. Zheng ended that 30-year wait and became the tournament's first home champion. Both players are expected to play in the Wuhan Open next. Zheng will try to keep her form rolling and is aiming to crack the top 20 again. For more sports news and updates, visit JeetWin Blog!