Zheng Qinwen’s landmark China Open triumph has carried from the Beijing hard courts into a new Vogue China photo feature, extending a remarkable autumn for the Olympic champion. The 23-year-old Chinese star entered her home WTA 1000 event as a wild card, lifted the biggest title of her career and has now risen to No. 23 in the PIF WTA Rankings.
Key takeaways
- Zheng became the first Chinese woman to win the China Open in Beijing.
- She captured her first WTA 1000 trophy after seven matches and more than 15 hours on court.
- Starting the event at No. 54, Zheng became the lowest-ranked China Open champion.
- Her title run included victories over Elina Svitolina, Elise Mertens and Mirra Andreeva.
- Zheng withdrew from this week’s Wuhan tournament because of a right shoulder injury.
- She remains entered for the WTA 250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open in Osaka, starting October 19.
A historic Beijing title run
The Beijing crown was Zheng’s first WTA Tour title since 2024 and her maiden WTA 1000 success. She was required to battle through four deciding-set matches before closing the tournament with a high-profile sequence of wins over Svitolina, Mertens and Andreeva in the final.
Her seven-match campaign lasted more than 15 hours, the highest total recorded by any player at a tournament this season. It is also the largest cumulative court time tracked since Opta began monitoring the statistic in 2023.
Zheng arrived in the draw ranked 54th, making her the lowest-ranked player to claim the China Open. The points earned in Beijing propelled her 31 places up the rankings, from No. 54 to No. 23.
After defeating Andreeva for the championship, Zheng said the victory represented another chance to set a new standard for Chinese tennis. “After winning this title, I felt that I had done it at last and was again creating new history,” she said. “I always want to surpass myself. People ask what I achieved in 2024, but I say my best is still ahead of me.”
Vogue feature follows Olympic and tour milestones
The latest Vogue China spread adds another chapter to Zheng’s relationship with the fashion magazine. A few months after winning Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, she became the first athlete to appear on the cover of Vogue China.
She returned to the cover last year and is now featured again in an imaginative new shoot. The images show Zheng using pumpkins as weights, performing with candy rings and striking bubbles from a bathtub with an oversized tennis racquet.
Her on-court schedule has changed after the exertions of Beijing. Zheng had been due to compete in Wuhan this week, but withdrew following the China Open final while managing a right shoulder problem. Her next planned tournament is Osaka’s Kinoshita Group Japan Open, a WTA 250 event beginning on October 19.
