When the WTA Rankings were published during the week of June 15 this year, one had to click on the “Show More” button down the page three times to find Zheng Qinwen‘s name. Hampered by an elbow injury in 2025, the reigning Olympic champion could not stop her ranking from sliding to as low as No. 160, as she struggled to make deep runs in the initial part of the 2026 season. Fortunes changed for the former World No. 4 when she heeded her coach’s advice, something which she talked about as Zheng reached the China Open final.

“A few months ago I went through a very tough training period, not just physically but mentally too,” said Zheng in her press conference after she reached the final at the China Open. “At that point, I had to accept having to play the US Open qualifying because my ranking had dropped so much. When I was in the world top 10, I always found reasons to say no to my coach. But when my coach told me I was outside the top 100, I could no longer afford to ignore his advice. During that preparation period, I was much more humble, and I believe that was one of the keys to what I’m achieving right now.”

After winning only five of her twelve matches across the clay and grass-court seasons, Zheng’s ranking was no longer eligible to get her direct entry at the US Open. This is where her coach, Pere Riba, suggested taking the qualifiers in New York. The Chinese player did have the option to go for wildcard entries or use her protected ranking, but she realized she needed to get into rhythm by playing more matches.

Zheng played qualifying at the Canadian Open, but the experience was far from ideal as she lost to Lanlana Tararudee in the first round. Having decided to play the US Open qualifying, Zheng knew she had to play extra matches in the hot, humid conditions of New York and chose to do an intense training block, skipping the Cincinnati Open to get the rest and reset she needed.

The move resulted in a miraculous run by Zheng, who reached the quarterfinals at the US Open as a qualifier. She beat the likes of Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in her run, making dramatic comebacks after being 5-0 down in sets against both the American and the Polish player. Only a spirited three-set performance from Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals proved to be enough to stop Zheng’s run.

Asking the player to accept uncomfortable truths is part of a tennis coach’s job description. While Riba’s advice worked wonders for Zheng, there are similar instances in women’s tennis. One of the foremost is the work that Wim Fissette put in with Angelique Kerber. Even though it was difficult for the German player, Fissette pushed her to a more aggressive style of tennis, which resulted in the former World No. 1 winning Wimbledon in 2018.

While it is rare for top players to play in qualifiers after injuries, there have been instances where qualifiers have gone on dream runs at Slams. No one can forget what Emma Raducanu did in New York six years ago or what Maja Chwalinska did at Roland Garros this year. For Zheng, her run to the US Open quarterfinal saw her jump as high as No. 54 on the rankings, which put her right on the path of a comeback.

Zheng had to prove the New York run was not a flash in the pan, and the Chinese player is now one match away from becoming an even bigger icon in her home country.

Zheng Qinwen Faces Mirra Andreeva in first final in two years

Zheng will be keen to put an exclamation point on her comeback story with a win over Mirra Andreeva in the China Open final, which is her first title clash in two years since the WTA Finals in 2024. Being only the second Chinese woman to reach the final in Beijing will add pressure on Zheng’s shoulders, but having played Grand Slam and Olympic finals before, the Chinese player will welcome the challenge of playing on a big occasion.

Zheng’s opponent, Andreeva, has already made her mark this season, winning her maiden Major at the French Open. The Russian is also accomplished at the WTA 1000 level, winning titles in Dubai and Indian Wells last year and finishing runner-up in Madrid this year. Incidentally, the only match between Zheng and Andreeva took place at the China Open itself two years ago, with the Chinese player winning in three sets.

Zheng’s previous big finals, including the 2024 Australian Open and the 2024 Wuhan Open, have resulted in losses against Aryna Sabalenka. The Chinese player also lost a three-set epic to Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals in 2024. She will look to reverse the trend, having been in great form in Beijing, beating the likes of Anna Kalinskaya, Elina Svitolina, and Elise Mertens. Should she win the title, Zheng will rise to 23 on the rankings, an inspiring comeback given where she was a few months ago.