During a recent media session, Zheng Qinwen reflected on her remarkable achievement of qualifying for the WTA Finals in just her third year on tour. “I truly feel proud to have made it to the WTA Finals. No matter what tournament I participate in, my goal is always to win,” she stated. “Moving forward, I’ll be focusing on a small training block to ensure both my body and mind are in optimal condition because it’s crucial for my competitiveness at the WTA Finals. I’m confident other players are doing the same.”
On October 16, during the Ningbo Open in Zhejiang, China, Zheng addressed her withdrawal from the tournament due to health issues, sharing her thoughts on the upcoming WTA Finals. Reports indicated that American player Coco Vandeweghe withdrew from both the Ningbo and Tokyo events, securing Zheng’s spot in the year-end championship as the final qualifier. This achievement makes her the second Chinese player after Li Na to earn a place in the WTA Finals.
Reflecting on this significant milestone, Zheng expressed her excitement. “I want to enjoy the WTA Finals because all the competitors are top-tier players who have performed incredibly well this year. I’m really looking forward to the matchups and hope everyone will be in their best form against me,” she shared.
Zheng emphasized the importance of continual self-improvement. “I also hope to manage my expectations and not put too much pressure on myself. I’ll take it one match at a time and see how I end up performing.”
Discussing her decision to withdraw from the Ningbo Open, Zheng conveyed her disappointment. “I feel very sorry for having to pull out. This event was part of my planned schedule, but competing at the China Open and Wuhan Open took a toll on me. During the Wuhan final, I already felt a strain in my left adductor muscle and had to rely on painkillers and cold medicine to compete. I was also feeling under the weather at that time, and I haven’t fully recovered. After discussing with my team, they prioritized my health and the risk of worsening my injury, leading to the decision to withdraw,” she explained.
Zheng hopes to participate in next year’s Ningbo Open and encourages fans to enjoy the upcoming matches. Looking back on the 2024 season, she expressed general satisfaction with her performance. “While I always believe I could have done better, it’s important to view my efforts at the China Open and Wuhan Open with the right perspective. Those tournaments ultimately helped me qualify for the WTA Finals. Post-Olympics, I managed to maintain a stable level of performance, which is a goal I’ve achieved,” she remarked.
On the day of the press conference, Zheng interacted with young players from the Ningbo Youth Tennis Team, drawing enthusiastic crowds. When asked about her training regimen, she replied, “The training duration varies based on the time of year. During winter training, it’s about four hours of tennis, two hours of fitness, and including warm-ups and therapy, it’s usually longer. Generally, we start around 9 AM and finish around 6 or 7 PM.”
Through her talent and hard work, Zheng’s inspiring story motivates countless young tennis enthusiasts. With impressive achievements like her runner-up finish at the Australian Open, quarter-finals at the US Open, semi-finals at the China Open, and gold in women’s singles at the Paris Olympics, she consistently breaks new ground for Chinese tennis on the world stage.
Looking ahead, when asked about her next goals, Zheng replied, “I will focus on performing well in my upcoming matches and not think too far ahead. For me, the ‘next goal’ feels distant. I prefer to take things slowly and concentrate on each day as it comes.”
