Zheng Qinwen has reached her first Grand Slam final. In fact, she is the first Chinese person to do so in 10 years.
Zheng grew up watching China’s last Grand Slam winner, Li Na, and said she watched the 2014 Australian Open final “at least 10 times”. If you’ve been on tennis social media, you’ll no doubt have come across the image of Zheng watching Li win 10 years ago, transfixed by her results. As a result, a tennis boom was expected in China.
This was Qinwen Zheng watching Li Na win the 2014 Australian Open title.
Ten years later, Zheng competes in the women’s final of the 2024 Australian Open, becoming the first Chinese singles finalist at a Major since Li Na herself.
π₯Ήππ¨π³ pic.twitter.com/N2PRhT0u45
β Olly πΎπ¬π§ (@Olly_Tennis_) January 25, 2024
It took until now for this to begin to materialize.
A viral video this week saw Li sneak up on Zheng mid-interview and greet her like you would your best friend, with a pat on the butt. Zheng says they had just met before this tournament. It’s not every day that you not only meet your idol, but also become friends with her.
Li Na surprises Qinwen after specifically mentioning her in her post-victory interview today π₯Ή
π₯ @AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/BozJdXRJvD
β Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) January 20, 2024
But before we go any further, stop and read this piece by Matt Futtermann. It is the heartbreaking story of Zheng Qinwen’s childhood when she, at the age of seven, was taken by her father to Wuhan to show her talent to a top-level coach.
The most important detail her father kept from her? She would have stayed there.
He wouldn’t do it.
What else do you need to know about her?
Trip to the Australian Open
The end of Zheng’s 2023 season was interrupted by the return of Naomi Osaka. Wim Fissette was her coach and the key to climbing the rankings in 2023, reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open before being stopped by a certain Aryna Sabalenka, her opponent for Saturday’s final.
Osaka’s return to the sport after the birth of her first child, Shai, meant a reunion with Fissette. Zheng was devastated. “There’s nothing I want to say about Wim Fissette,” he told reporters earlier this week.
This led Zheng to do the same and reunite with coach Pere Riba, who was by Coco Gauff’s side during her US Open success in 2023.
Zheng’s path to the final was free of major obstacles. She has never played against anyone in the top 50. Her highest ranked opponent was Britain’s Katie Boulter (54). That said, she spent more than 11 hours on the court.
This creates a bit of a problem when analyzing Zheng’s game because she hasn’t been tested by anyone anywhere near her position in this Grand Slam.
Playing style
Sliding and stretching across the court, Zheng uses his entire 5-foot-10-inch (178 cm) frame to reach the ball and block a forehand, often cutting it on the long diagonal. As a result, he has hit 165 winners in the last two weeks. This is a skill noted by Sabalenka, who said after the semifinal victory: βI think his (Zheng’s) forehand is his best shot. She is quite heavy.
The new player in the top 10 also tests the length of the court, hitting the lines and leaving little margin for error.
In addition to her powerful forehand, her serve is one to watch. She has 48 aces and counts for the tournament, the best in the women’s draw. Sabalenka, however, is in third place and holds half of it.

Zheng Qinwen celebrates her victory against Dayana Yastremska in the semifinals (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images)
The main battle he faces is overthinking. “I think at the beginning of the first set I think too much … of course, this is one of my problems,” she said after the quarterfinals. βSo when I lost the first set directly, I tried to tell myself: ‘Stay focused. Do not think too much. Concentrate now.”
Zheng says Li made a similar observation to her: “It’s really simple advice: Don’t think too much.”
Expect Rod Laver Arena to be filled with shouts of “jiayou”, meaning “vamos” in Mandarin, on Saturday as Zheng looks to emulate his idol and win at Melbourne Park.
Zheng is excited to reach the final. Someone just remind her not to think about it.
(Top photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)