Zheng Qinwen's Triumph at China Open Electrifies Beijing Crowd with Tennis and Karaoke
Zheng Qinwen Celebrates Big Win in Beijing
Zheng Qinwen returned to the microphone after clinching her most significant WTA Tour title at the China Open, thrilling a packed crowd of 15,000 spectators. Following her victory over Mirra Andreeva with a score of 7-5, 6-4, Zheng added a unique flair to her celebration by performing karaoke during the trophy ceremony, captivating fans both in the arena and watching on TV.
A Memorable Victory and Celebration
Having already showcased her signature celebration—collapsing on her back after wins in the U.S. Open qualifiers, main draw, and now the Diamond Court in Beijing—Zheng surprised fans again with a heartfelt rendition of "梦的光点 (Light of Dreams)," a song from the animated series 神兵小将 (Shenbing Kids). Earlier in the tournament, she had celebrated a win against Marie Bouzková with a character pose from the same show, explaining that she shared the series and song with her team.
"The feeling was incredible. To win here in Beijing in front of my home crowd is one of my dreams," Zheng said during the trophy ceremony.
Overcoming Challenges
Zheng, who turned 24 just days before the final, entered the tournament via a wild card after a tough comeback from an elbow injury pushed her ranking outside the top 150 by July. At the French Open earlier that year, she struggled emotionally after a heavy defeat to Maja Chwalińska, who later reached the final.
Determined, Zheng rebuilt her form through the U.S. Open qualifiers, making an impressive run to the quarterfinals. Her China Open title will catapult her back into the top 30, edging closer to the elite level she seemed destined for after winning Olympic gold and reaching the Australian Open final in 2024.
Match Insights
During the final against Andreeva, Zheng's usually powerful first serve faltered, landing only 38 percent. Still, her second serve proved formidable, and she capitalized on the few mistakes made by the young French Open champion, who had mostly served exceptionally well.
Zheng quickly recognized Andreeva’s strategy of directing forehands down the line to exploit her backhand. Though she initially accepted this tactic too often, she adjusted as the match went on, targeting Andreeva’s forehand more to force errors and create opportunities.
Despite Andreeva earning three set points at 5-4 in the first set, Zheng fought back fiercely, winning eight points in a row to break serve and then holding to take the set 7-5 with an ace.
Physical and Mental Preparation
To prepare for the demanding tournament schedule, Zheng dedicated much of the summer to intense training, including pulling out of the Cincinnati Open to focus on conditioning in Florida.
"Those conditions were super tough. Every day after practice, I was sweating from head to toe... I don't even want to remember how hard those sessions were," Zheng revealed at the U.S. Open press conference.
Her hard work paid off. She battled through qualifying rounds and won two matches where she came back from 5-0 down in a set, demonstrating resilience against Madison Keys and Iga Świątek before falling to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.
Zheng reflected on her journey, acknowledging the ups and downs throughout her career and especially recently.
"Going through this journey, there have been many chapters. I could write many chapters. You see the lows in the recent period. But in my junior years, there were many highs and lows. It's been like this all the way through," she said after beating Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. "I didn't expect that the lows this time continued that long. That is why I treasure the opportunities now. I used to think winning a match was like drinking water: normal. But now I'm more grateful for every win because I understand how much effort I have made."
Closing Moments
The final moments were tense. After a long game to break Andreeva’s serve late in the second set, Zheng found herself down 0-30 while serving for the championship. She rallied with bold second serves to reach match point and sealed her victory with an ace. She then dropped to her back in her iconic celebration pose before delighting the crowd with her karaoke performance.
