Zheng’s Long Awaited Comeback Begins with Win over Kenin in Doha

Zheng Qinwen fired 20 aces and ended her long hiatus due to complications after elbow surgery on Monday, 4-6 6-1 6-2, at the Qatar Total Energies Open. 

23-year-old Zheng, who had played just two matches since Wimbledon, then shut her season down to continue her rehab, feels she is at 95 percent now – good enough to start her comeback on her terms. 

Zheng recently revealed in an interview with Carole Bouchard of the Tennis Sweet Spot, that she has been spending a lot of time watching tennis and wishing she could be back on the court. 

She expressed some regret about how she handled her comeback, and the fact that she couldn’t start the season in Australia as she had planned. 

“The decision not to go to the Australian Open actually hurt, because I know it was because we didn’t make good enough decisions,” she said. “But at least we tried really hard. Still, it was tough for me to accept, and I was crying in the bathroom. ‘Like, why are we doing that? Why is my elbow not recovering? Why?’ A lot of questions. 

“But in the end, I have to accept it because it was the right thing to do: if I’m still not able to serve, how and why am I going all the way to Australia? I cannot go there and just be like, “Let’s see how I’m going to do.”

26th-ranked Zheng won 40 of 47 first-serve points and saved four of five break points against Kenin to set a second-round match with American Alycia Parks. 

In additon to the 20 aces, Zheng tacked on 23 more winners in an explosive performance against the former Australian Open champion.