Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen has made a remarkable comeback at the US Open, reaching the quarter-finals after a challenging period marked by injury and a significant drop in her world ranking. Once ranked as high as No. 4, Zheng overcame months of poor results and self-doubt to earn her place among the last eight, becoming the first qualifier to do so at the tournament since Emma Raducanu's breakthrough win in 2021.
The 23-year-old faced a difficult road back after undergoing elbow surgery last year, which sidelined her for several months and severely impacted her performance. Zheng fell to 125th in the rankings, requiring her to enter the tournament through qualifying rounds. She acknowledged the struggles she endured during an interview with Chinese state media, describing the process as a "painful rebirth" and highlighting the many losses that forced her to question the value of her efforts.
“I think, for me, these past three or four months have been basically the worst period of results in my career,” Zheng said. She attributed her decline primarily to the lengthy recovery from injury, noting that her muscle memory and overall form deteriorated due to extended time away from competitive play. “When I came back after that, it felt – I often describe it as completely losing all my form, and then having to rebuild step by step from scratch.”
Zheng’s recent performance at Flushing Meadows has been a significant turnaround. After earlier battles on the tour where her best result was a quarter-final appearance at the Athens Open in July, she pulled off a notable victory over Iga Swiatek, the reigning No. 1 and gold medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Zheng rallied from 5-0 down in the first set to secure a 7-5, 6-3 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. She also survived a match point against Madison Keys in the third round, demonstrating resilience and renewed confidence.
Reflecting on the win against Swiatek, Zheng said she had been so focused she barely recalled the exact scoreline in the first set. “It shows how focused I am. I guess to come back last time is not lucky,” she remarked. After the match, Swiatek, who had defeated Zheng in the 2022 Paris gold medal final, left the court visibly emotional. Meanwhile, Zheng expressed gratitude simply to be back competing at the sport’s highest level. “I just really appreciate being here in the Arthur Ashe Stadium,” she said.
Her next opponent will be second seed Elena Rybakina, who dispatched Naomi Osaka in straight sets. Zheng stated she will maintain her grounded approach and determination going forward. “The reality is you are just 125 [in the world], so you are not the top 10 you were before. Don’t treat yourself so high. You are here as everyone else. You start from the ground, so stay there and keep fighting,” Zheng said.
As she continues her run in New York, Zheng’s resurgence exemplifies the persistence needed to overcome setbacks in professional sport, offering hope for a return to her prior elite status.