Zheng Qinwen's Stunning Comeback: From Elbow Surgery to China Open Glory

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-12

Sometimes the best stories aren't about perfect seasons—they're about the messy, painful climbs back to the top. Zheng Qinwen just wrote one of those stories. On Sunday, the 24-year-old wildcard defeated Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 to win the China Open at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing. In doing so, she became the first Chinese woman to ever win the singles title at this tournament. Pretty remarkable for someone who was ranked 122nd earlier this season. ### How She Pulled Off the Upset Andreeva, the fourth seed, came out firing. She led 2-0 in both sets and was up 5-4 in the first, holding three set points. Most players would've folded there. Zheng didn't. She saved all three, leveled at 5-5, and then won every single point to close out the set with an ace. Just like that, the momentum shifted. The second set followed a similar script. Andreeva kept making errors, but the score stayed tight until 4-4. That's when Zheng pounced—breaking serve in the ninth game with a forehand that clipped the line. A double fault late in the final game gave Andreeva a sliver of hope, but Zheng slammed the door with another ace on match point. She fell to the court in tears as the home crowd erupted. ### The Long Road Back Zheng's journey to this moment wasn't easy. She's a former world No. 4 and the reigning Olympic champion, but elbow surgery in 2025 derailed everything. Her form suffered, her fitness struggled, and her ranking plummeted to 122nd. "I've been through a very, very tough year," she said during the trophy ceremony. That's putting it mildly. But this win—her first WTA 1000 title and sixth overall—changes everything. Her last trophy came in October 2024 in Tokyo. Since then, it's been a grind. She also made the quarterfinals at the US Open this year, showing glimpses of her old self. ### What This Win Means for the Rankings When the new rankings drop on Monday, Zheng will jump 31 spots to No. 23. Andreeva, despite the loss, will move from fifth to third. Not bad for a 19-year-old playing in her first China Open final. The two had met once before, in the 2024 China Open quarterfinals, where Zheng won in three sets. This time, she didn't need a third. ### A Historic Moment for Chinese Tennis 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. After the match, she congratulated Andreeva on her French Open win earlier this season and then sang a song about chasing the "light of dreams" for the crowd. Because why not? Sometimes you just have to soak it all in. ### What's Next? Both players are expected to compete in the Wuhan Open next. Zheng will try to carry this momentum forward and is aiming to crack the top 20 again. Given how she's playing, that doesn't seem like a stretch. For Zheng, this wasn't just a title. It was proof that the tough times don't last forever—and that comebacks are always possible.