By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Zheng Qinwen unwrapped strong self-reliance to stage an early birthday celebration in Beijing.
Chinese wild card Zheng thrilled home fans fending off Alina Charaeva 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 to advance to her 10th career WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the China Open today.
It is Zheng’s first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since the 2025 Rome and it comes one day before her 24th birthday.
Afterward, Zheng shared her simple birthday wish: To be a better version of her old self.
“I would say I’m trying to be better of the old version of myself. I’m trying to upgrade, to discover a new version,” Zheng told the media in Beijing. “Cause like I always said, okay, I did really good stuff when I was 21 years old, but that wasn’t my highest performance. I felt like inside me there’s still so much more that I could do it.
“I’m trying to find out – tomorrow is my 24 years old – if I can do it much better when age pass, when I become more mature. Also mentally I’m more stable than I used to be before. I used to be very emotional at a young age.”
Emotional stability, experience and the ability to play higher percentage tennis are three reasons why former world No. 4 Zheng, now ranked No. 64, believes she can eventually crack the Top 3 in the world.
“Ranking right now for me is a number,” Zheng said. “Of course, it shows what I did in the last one year. I know where I’m capable to be. Here is not the place where I deserve. Of course, I believe I could reach higher.
“Like you say, my highest ranking is No. 4. I still believe I could do much better than that. I really wants to see what I can bring in the future. I know deep inside me, but I have to prove it.”
Proving ground will be Beijing’s hard court when Zheng, who has posted four consecutive three-set wins, plays Elina Svitolina for a semifinal spot.
The No. 6-seeded Svitolina stopped American Ann Li 6-2, 6-3 to advance to her 29th career WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Zheng, who will have a day off on her birthday, aims to bring her best against Svitolina, who is playing for a semifinal spot 10 years after she made the final four in Beijing.
“I would say every year I’m upgrading myself. I’m also discovering myself,” Zheng said. “It’s just year by year I being better and better. I think that’s called develop.
“I don’t like to really compare with my past ’cause when I’m not doing good, even my parents, sometimes they say like, Before you’re better.
“I’m not agree. Your body is changing every year. You need to adapt with your conditions every year.”
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