by sportswriters Li Chunyu, Wang Chunyan and Hu Jiali
BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sealing victory with an ace, home favorite Zheng Qinwen claimed her maiden WTA 1000 title at the China Open on Sunday, becoming the first Chinese player to win the tournament's women's singles crown amid roaring cheers on Diamond Court.
Known as "Queen Wen," Zheng defeated Russia's 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 to complete a remarkable comeback from injury.
Dressed in a red gown at her post-match press conference, the Olympic champion summed up her triumph in a few words: "I found my inner fire back."
As her winning ace landed, Zheng sank to the court in celebration, recalling the moment she captured Olympic gold on the red clay of Roland Garros at Paris 2024.
But the journey between those two moments of glory had been anything but smooth.
"I know how much I can inspire people after winning the Olympic gold. I keep trying to reach the best version of myself, but the injury changed my momentum," said Zheng, who reached the semifinals of the 2024 China Open.
The former world No. 4 underwent elbow surgery in July 2025 after a first-round exit at Wimbledon, beginning a frustrating period of recovery marked by setbacks and uncertainty.
"Sooner or later, I would have to go through this kind of surgery. But because of a lack of understanding of recovery, not enough visits to doctors or receiving advice from different doctors, I was making some wrong choices," she said.
Just over two months after surgery, Zheng returned to competition at the 2025 China Open, only to withdraw in the third round.
"I was really rushed. I wanted to play the matches, and my doctors told me I was able to play in those matches. But after these tournaments, the condition worsened, which took me longer to recover. This is a good lesson for me," Zheng reflected.
The prolonged absence brought pressure and doubts over whether she could regain the form that had made her one of China's brightest sporting stars.
Yet Zheng refused to let outside voices distract her, gradually discovering that the difficult period had also offered an opportunity for personal growth.
"The biggest takeaway is that lows are not necessarily bad. I rediscovered myself to see my shortcomings in skills and weaknesses of personality. Being positive every day is difficult. When I was in tough moments, I had an extra energy to make a breakthrough. The lows actually helped me improve," she said.
After falling outside the world's top 100 earlier this year, Zheng began her resurgence at the US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals as a qualifier.
Returning to Beijing, she strung together seven consecutive victories to make history on home soil.
"To play in China is like playing the fifth Grand Slam for me. They are the same important. I want to perform super well in front of the home crowd. This brings me extra pressure, but also helps me to put the efforts on court," she said.
The tournament also brought moments of personal celebration.
On October 1, China's National Day, Zheng wore red as she defeated compatriot Shi Han, explaining afterward that "red brings energy and power."
On Thursday, she celebrated her 24th birthday in Beijing wearing a blue-purple gown reminiscent of a wedding dress. Three days later, the China Open trophy arrived as a belated birthday gift.
"Now, at 24, I've become more mature. I am mentally more stable than I used to be. When I am making choices on and off the court, I am more clear-minded," she said.
"I want to be a more aggressive player. It has always been my dream and ambition."
Despite her latest achievement, Zheng says there is still more to come.
"If not for the surgery, I could keep going higher. The surgery stopped my progress somehow. I have to start from zero again. I really want to see what I can do in the future," she said.
Having endured months of uncertainty, Zheng said the setbacks had given her a deeper appreciation of every victory.
"There have been many chapters going through this journey. I just didn't expect that the lows this time continued that long. That is why I treasure the opportunities now. I know how much effort I have made behind each win."
For the newly crowned China Open champion, the journey is far from over.
"Honestly, I'm eager to know what's going to come next in my career," she said. "Tennis is a beautiful sport. I don't want to have a regret the day that I retire from tennis."
And as "Queen Wen" looked ahead to the next chapter, she had one reminder for herself:
"Be humble, keep my head up. Don't let the crown drop." ■
