Zheng Qinwen Wins China Open, Turns into First Chinese Champion in Beijing

Qinwen Zheng turned the primary Chinese participant to win the China Open on Sunday, defeating fourth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 within the remaining on the China National Tennis Center in Beijing to say her first WTA 1000 title. The match took one hour and 42 minutes. Zheng fell to the ground on match level as the gang erupted.

Zheng entered the match ranked No. 54 on the planet on a wildcard, nonetheless working again from elbow surgical procedure in July 2025 that had knocked her outdoors the highest 100 and left her within the US Open qualifying draw as lately as late August. She leaves Beijing ranked No. 23. In on-court trophy ceremony remarks, she credited these round her for getting her by way of it.

“I want to thank them for supporting me because I’ve been through [a] very tough year,” Zheng stated.

The remaining adopted a primary set during which Zheng got here again from a break right down to claw her method degree, then pushed by way of 7-5 earlier than closing the second set at 6-4. Andreeva, making her first WTA 1000 remaining look, noticed her runner-up end transfer her to a career-high rating of third on the planet.

“It’s been a very nice week playing in Beijing,” Andreeva stated throughout the trophy ceremony. “I thought maybe today I would hear one ‘let’s go Mirra’, but no.”

The path to the title required Zheng to beat three seeded opponents in a row. She ousted sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 7-6(6) within the quarterfinals earlier than defeating Thirteenth-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium within the semifinals. Mertens had been one of many week’s breakout tales, first eliminating third-seeded Coco Gauff within the fourth spherical, then knocking out eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek 7-6(0), 6-3 within the quarterfinals.

“Sometimes you just grow into a tournament,” Mertens advised AP.

Andreeva reached the ultimate previous Twenty sixth-seeded Nikola Bartunkova of the Czech Republic within the semifinals. Bartunkova’s personal run had been one of many match’s greatest subplots: the unseeded Czech took out second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and seventh-seeded Karolina Muchova in back-to-back matches earlier than her week ended.

The high seed, Elena Rybakina, was eradicated even earlier — knocked out within the fourth spherical by qualifier Alina Charaeva of Armenia, per UNI India. The draw successfully shed its high three seeds earlier than the quarterfinals, clearing the way in which for Zheng’s late-draw run.

Zheng’s title is the primary by a Chinese participant within the match’s historical past. The occasion carries a $9,415,725 prize pool; the singles winner earns 1,000 rating factors and $1,151,380.