Zheng Qinwen becomes China Open’s first Chinese women’s singles finalist

Zheng Qinwen became the first Chinese woman to reach the China Open singles final, defeating Belgium’s 13th seed Elise Mertens 7-5, 6-2 in Beijing. The breakthrough came in the tournament’s 20th edition and took Zheng beyond her semifinal appearance in 2024.

The result also marked another step in her comeback after a difficult year disrupted by injury and recovery from elbow surgery. She had shown signs of revival by reaching the US Open quarterfinals before her run in Beijing. Entering the China Open with a wild card, an invitation to compete, she became the first woman to reach its singles final through that route.

Against Mertens, Zheng had to recover her momentum. She led 4-1 in the opening set before her opponent drew level at 4-4. Zheng then won the decisive final game to take the set. In the second, she held every service game and twice won games on Mertens’s serve to secure the victory.

Afterwards, Zheng thanked the spectators for supporting her through a challenging journey. “The best version of me is not in the past, but in the present and the future,” she said. Looking ahead to the final, she acknowledged that she could not control the result, but promised to give everything on court.