Hey, tennis fans I’m Mia Johnson-Carter, and I’m here to share an inspiring story about Zheng Qinwen, the Chinese tennis star who’s been making waves in the sport. This season, Zheng has been on fire, reaching her first Slam and WTA 1000 finals at the Australian Open and Wuhan respectively. Despite her impressive performances, she remains without titles in those categories, thanks to her nemesis, Aryna Sabalenka.
Zheng, who is now the world No. 7, has been consistently improving her game. Since Wimbledon, she has been on a roll, even capturing the gold medal in her Olympic debut in Paris. Her current form is remarkable; she has won 24 matches in the second part of 2024, which is the most for any player during this period.
However, one major challenge for Zheng remains—Sabalenka. In three out of five losses suffered since Wimbledon, Zheng fell short against the new world No. 1. Their most recent encounter was at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where Sabalenka won in a two-set match. Despite this setback, Zheng managed to make it past the group stage and could potentially face Sabalenka again in the final if both players win their respective semifinal matches.
Zheng’s determination to improve is evident. In an interview with Arab News, she mentioned that beating Sabalenka is crucial for her to win a Grand Slam: “She won two slams. This is really big achievement for her. And I remember last year, she won her first Grand Slam in the Australian Open. And then she kept going, kept working. But you know, both slams that she won this year, I lost against her on the way. Which means if I want to win a slam, I have to be able to beat her. And I’m quite excited for that day,” Zheng said.
Zheng’s journey isn’t just about her matches against Sabalenka; it’s about her overall growth as a player. She recently achieved a notable feat by becoming the first Chinese player since Li Na in 2013 to reach the semifinal at the prestigious WTA Finals. This achievement is a testament to her hard work and dedication.
Against Jasmine Paolini, Zheng needed a dominant performance to make it to the semifinals. She delivered big time with 12 aces en route to a 6-1 6-1 win. Reflecting on her serve, she said, “I finally feel that my serve has started to be a bit more consistent.”
The rivalry between Zheng and Sabalenka continues to captivate fans worldwide. Their next potential encounter could be at the WTA Finals, where both players are vying for top honors. If they meet again, it will be their sixth time facing off on the court.
Despite losing only one set in their five previous clashes, Zheng sees improvements in her game against Sabalenka. “I can say that I see things more clearly compared to Australia. Obviously I performed better. In general I feel that my level is getting better compared to Australia. Still there are a lot of things I have to improve,” she said after the Wuhan final.
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia
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