By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday May 28, 2022
Playing in her second Grand Slam main draw, China’s Qinwen Zheng has stormed the scene and reached the round of 16 at Roland-Garros, and in the process she has raised quite a few eyebrows.
In other words, Zheng’s impressive tennis on the world’s biggest clay-court stage is not a fluke – the young woman can flat-out play.
All eyes will be on her on Monday in Paris when she takes on world-beating Iga Swiatek, the hot shot that has reeled off 31 consecutive wins to emphatically put her stamp on the No.1 ranking. Zheng told reporters that she’s not intimidated at all by the prospect of facing the hottest player in tennis.
“Of course she's wonderful player,” Zheng told reporters after barreling past Alizé Cornet, 6-3, 6-0 RET in her first career match on Court Philippe-Chatrier. “Actually, I have been prepared for this match, because I really want to play against her. So I'm excited for this match.”
The 19-year-old who took out Simona Halep in the second round entered the draw with a ranking or 74. According to the live rankings, she’ll rise to at least 54 with her trip to week two.
Be Patient and Wait for the Moment
More important she has earned herself invaluable experience on the biggest court in the world, and at the Grand Slam level this week at Roland-Garros.
Zheng was asked if she felt that she had closed the gap between herself and other teenagers, such as Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez, after her win on Saturday.
“If you talk about the level, that I always think that the level I have, I always have,” she said. “The different is the result and the ranking. Of course I see they are all in front of me. In that moment I was inside like rush. But I know what I can do and I have to be patient and to wait the moment to come."
About Zheng
Originally from the central Chinese city of Shiyan, Zheng moved Wuhan to play more tennis, but eventually moved on to train in Barcelona, where she is coached by former World No.65 Pere Riba.
Her favorite surface is hard courts but she has a game that is extremely well-suited for clay, thanks to her ability to hit high-bouncing heavy topspin.
When Zheng was young she was signed by IMG at age 11, and when she returned to China after a brief stint of competition in the U.S. she began training at Carlos Rodriguez's academy in Beijing. Rodriguez, of course, is the former coach of Justine Henin who spent time coaching Li Na as well.
“I think Carlos made the base for what I am right now,” Zheng told the New York Times.
Zheng is a huge fan of the big three and told Tennis Now that she likes to watch videos of Novak Djokovic to pick up tips from his style of play. She's also inspired by the great Li Na.
"Yeah, she's the first one in Asia who win French Open, the first Grand Slam," she said. "It's like she gave me a little dream feeling the heart that while the Asia people also can do something really good in tennis. Because the first one is always special, and especial in that moment I was really young. So, yeah, she gave me the dream to put that I can do something big in tennis."