Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic champion, won her first title in two years by beating French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the China Open final on Sunday.
Zheng clinched the match with her first match point, serving an ace to Andreeva’s backhand side. She then dropped to the court, sobbing with emotion.
A Steep Fall and a Sharp Return
Zheng’s ranking had dropped sharply because of an elbow injury. She was ranked a career-high No. 4 last year but fell to No. 160 this season. She entered her home tournament as a wild card at No. 54. With this result, she will return to the top 30, the WTA said.
“I’ve been through a very tough year,” Zheng said in English during the trophy presentation, which had a touch of karaoke. She sang a pop song to roars of appreciation from the fans in the arena.
Strong Form Before the Injury Setback
Zheng had a stellar 2024. She reached the final of the Australian Open, won the singles title at the Paris Olympics at Roland Garros, and in October claimed her fifth career WTA title in Japan.
She showed her old form again at the U.S. Open in August. Coming through qualifying, she advanced to the quarterfinals, twice rallying from 5-0 down in matches she won against Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek.
Andreeva Still Climbs
Despite the loss, Andreeva is set to rise to a career-high No. 3 ranking. On Sunday, she had three points to take the first set while leading 5-4. Zheng then won 11 straight points to claim the set.
“For sure today she played great,” Andreeva said of Zheng. “It’s also very nice to see her playing better and coming back.”