Zheng Qinwen wins China’s first Olympic tennis singles gold

Zheng Qinwen wins China’s first Olympic tennis singles gold
Qinwen Zheng of China celebrates after winning gold against Donna Vekic of Croatia. (REUTERS)
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Updated 03 August 2024
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Zheng Qinwen wins China’s first Olympic tennis singles gold

Zheng Qinwen wins China’s first Olympic tennis singles gold
  • The 21-year-old Zheng earned the biggest title of her still-nascent career by defeating Vekic 6-2, 6-3 with the same powerful serves and groundstrokes she used to eliminate No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals

PARIS: Right before Zheng Qinwen delivered the very first serve of a victory that would deliver China’s very first Olympic tennis singles gold medal, loud shouts of “Jia You!” in Mandarin rang out from all sections of Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday as fans waved the country’s red-and-yellow flags.
It’s a phrase that literally means “Add oil!” — in other words, “Hit the gas!” — and is loosely equivalent to “Let’s go!” Those yells resumed right after Zheng’s opponent in the 2024 Paris Games women’s final, Donna Vekic of Croatia, put her return into the net. And they were heard over and over again on a breezy, cloudy afternoon whenever things went Zheng’s way.
Which was rather often. The 21-year-old Zheng earned the biggest title of her still-nascent career by defeating Vekic 6-2, 6-3 with the same powerful serves and groundstrokes she used to eliminate No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals.
“I always want to become one of the Asians that can inspire young kids and make them love tennis more, because tennis is such a great sport, especially for girls. You need to fight. You need to have strength. You need to be fast,” said Zheng, who signed several autographs for members of the crowd after the match. “After this gold medal, I feel, finally, I can play tennis more relaxed.”




Gold medallist Qinwen Zheng of China (center) poses on the podium with silver medallist Donna Vekic of Croatia (left) and bronze medallist Iga Swiatek of Poland. (REUTERS)

Not that she hadn’t already shown plenty of promise. Zheng is ranked No. 7, after all, and was the runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the hard-court Australian Open in January.
This triumph, though, could make her a real star at home. International Tennis Hall of Fame member Li Na is the only Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title — at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open — and served as inspiration for Zheng when she was a kid learning the sport.
“I have always been jealous of history-makers like Li Na,” Zheng said. “No matter what, she’s always the first, because she’s the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam. And I now become the first Asian player to win Olympic gold. I made history, as well. However, I still have a long way to go, because winning a Grand Slam is always my dream.”
The Olympic tennis matches are being played at Roland Garros, the clay-court facility that hosts the annual French Open. Swiatek is a four-time champion at that event, including titles there the past three years, and carried a 25-match unbeaten streak at Roland Garros into her matchup with Zheng.
But Swiatek ended up with the bronze for Poland, and she snapped a selfie with Zheng and Vekic during the medal ceremony.
Vekic, a 28-year-old who is No. 21 in the rankings, got a silver three weeks after being a semifinalist on the grass courts at Wimbledon. She was so worn out by that run at the All England Club that she considered withdrawing from the Olympics.
“I had pain in my arm. Pain in my ankle. I was sick,” Vekic said. “Everything was happening all at once.”
In Paris, Vekic found her stride, including a victory over US Open champion Coco Gauff. On Saturday, that Vekic seemed spent, bending over and leaning on her racket.
What Zheng was most proud of, what she thinks made a big difference for her over the past week, was her patience during points and mental strength between them.
“If you talk about shots, I have better shots than Vekic. I know it,” Zheng said. “But in the final, it’s not about shots.”
After Zheng forced an error with a huge forehand to break serve and own the first set, she soon went up 2-0 in the second. That’s where Vekic made a bit of a stand, stealing one of Zheng’s service games and getting to 2-all.
But — with chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore asking spectators to refrain from making noise during points — Zheng took control anew, breaking to lead 5-3. When she smacked a forehand to close the win, Zheng slid onto her back on the clay, then got a Chinese flag from the stands, held it like a cape to roars and draped it over her sideline chair.
It wasn’t just Li who received a piece of credit from Zheng during her news conference.
Zheng spoke about admiring Roger Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion who retired in 2022, and studying his matches to learn technique and tactics: “The way that he plays — so classy,” she said. She talked about looking up to Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, whose victory in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Athens Games was the nation’s first gold for a man in track and field.
And she discussed — and made sure to thank publicly — her parents. They started her in tennis at age 7. Mom quit her job when Qinwen was 12 to make sure she ate and slept properly. Dad, she said, “always pushed me hard,” taking her to a track to run up and down stairs, even on the Chinese New Year, when “everybody rests. But me? There’s no day of rest.”
“My success is not only my success. A lot of that is coming from my parents,” Zheng said. “They teach me how to be disciplined. They teach me how to stay focused on your dream. They always believed in me.”
 


Zheng advances to WTA Finals championship match with semifinal win over Krejcikova

Zheng advances to WTA Finals championship match with semifinal win over Krejcikova
Updated 08 November 2024
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Zheng advances to WTA Finals championship match with semifinal win over Krejcikova

Zheng advances to WTA Finals championship match with semifinal win over Krejcikova
  • Zheng, 22, awaits top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka or third-seeded Coco Gauff in the final on Saturday

RIYADH: Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen became the first tournament debutante to reach the championship match at the WTA Finals since 2021 with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Barbora Krejcikova in Riyadh on Friday.

The seventh-seeded Zheng needed one hour and 40 minutes to overcome the Wimbledon champion in their semifinal encounter, firing nine aces along the way.
Zheng led 6-3, 3-0 before the eighth-seeded Krejcikova launched a comeback attempt but the Chinese star regained control of the match to make it two wins from two clashes with the Czech.
Zheng, 22, awaits top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka or third-seeded Coco Gauff in the final on Saturday, as she bids to become the first player to win the WTA Finals on her maiden appearance since Ashleigh Barty in 2019.
“It feels so special because this is my first WTA Finals and right now I’m in the final, which is unbelievable. She’s a really good player, today we gave a good match,” said Zheng.
“It was tricky because at 3-0 I think I dropped my performance; suddenly my performance went down, and she played more free and I was suddenly 3-4 down. I gave so much control to myself to not panic too much. It shows I was mentally strong in that moment.”
Zheng was near untouchable on serve in the 40-minute opening set, dropping just one point behind her first delivery en route to a 6-3 lead.
The Olympic champion broke twice for a 3-0 advantage in the second set and looked on her way to a comfortable victory.
But Krejcikova had other ideas and she halted Zheng’s momentum by attacking her second serve to grab the next four games and inch ahead for the first time in the contest.
It became a tug of war but it was Zheng who found an opening, breaking in game 12 to put herself in the position to serve for the match.
The fight wasn’t over yet as Zheng had to save a break point and saw a first match point slip away before she wrapped up the win on her second chance when a Krejcikova forehand sailed wide.
Since the event’s inauguration in 1972, Zheng is only the second Asian player to reach the decider at the WTA Finals after Li Na pulled off that feat in 2013.


Krejcikova beats Gauff to earn last semifinal spot at WTA Finals. Swiatek eliminated despite win

Krejcikova beats Gauff to earn last semifinal spot at WTA Finals. Swiatek eliminated despite win
Updated 08 November 2024
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Krejcikova beats Gauff to earn last semifinal spot at WTA Finals. Swiatek eliminated despite win

Krejcikova beats Gauff to earn last semifinal spot at WTA Finals. Swiatek eliminated despite win
  • Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic beat American Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4
  • Swiatek had kept her hopes alive by beating Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0

RIYADH: Barbora Krejcikova grabbed the last semifinal spot at the WTA Finals with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Coco Gauff on Thursday, a result that eliminated second-ranked Iga Swiatek from the season-ending tournament.
Krejcikova completes a last-four lineup that already included top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen and Gauff.
“Well, I was definitely super excited to be here, to come here, to qualify to play against the best ones,” Krejcikova said. “I don’t really know where everything started to come together. Before the tournament, I had a couple of days where we hit lightly and already during those hits, I felt quite good. And I think definitely for me, it’s a big thing that it’s the last tournament of the season.”


Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion, won the Orange Group and will face Zheng in Friday’s semifinals, while Gauff will take on Purple Group winner Sabalenka.
Swiatek earlier routed alternate Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0 in less than an hour, but she needed Krejcikova to lose to third-ranked Gauff in order to advance from the Orange Group. Krejcikova, Gauff and Swiatek all finished at 2-1, and Swiatek was eliminated because she has a worse percentage of sets won.
Kasatkina replaced American Jessica Pegula, who withdrew from the tournament on Wednesday because of a left knee injury.
“I’m professional enough to always give 100 percent no matter what the stakes are,” Swiatek said.


Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans

Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans
Updated 07 November 2024
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Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans

Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans
  • Tunisian tennis superstar may not be taking part in the WTA Finals, but turns heads everywhere in Riyadh

RIYADH: It only takes a few moments shadowing Ons Jabeur around Riyadh to realize what a rock star she is in this part of the world.

After becoming the first Arab in history to qualify for the WTA Finals in 2022, and replicating that feat in 2023, the Tunisian struggled with injuries this campaign and did not make the cut for the season finale in Riyadh.

Still, as an Arab icon and history maker, Jabeur was invited to attend the inaugural Riyadh edition of the tournament and got to witness firsthand the biggest women’s sports event to be staged in Saudi Arabia.

Whether she was taking part in a meet and greet, tennis clinic or the opening ceremony, Jabeur was met with huge fanfare, which has only made her hungrier to qualify for the Finals in 2025.

“I’m very happy to be here in Riyadh, the WTA Finals is happening here. I think it’s a great thing for women’s sport, for Arab women’s sport as well. It’s the biggest event that ever happened for women in Saudi. It’s an amazing step,” Jabeur told Arab News.

Ons Jabeur was invited to attend the inaugural Riyadh edition of the WTA Finals. (Supplied)

“I’m not very happy that I’m not playing, but also at the same time I’m happy that I’m here to check everything out. It will be my motivation to qualify for next year.

“I had time to rest my shoulder, I’m feeling much better than before. It allowed me to also recover mentally. It’s been a tough couple of years going on tour, so to breathe in for a couple of months was really awesome and I can’t wait to come back in Australia.”

A shoulder injury forced Jabeur to pull the plug early on her season. Her last match of 2024, in early August, was an opening round defeat to Naomi Osaka in Toronto.

The former world No. 2 is already in training. “I’m ready and very motivated and honestly hungry to play matches. I feel 2025 is going to be an amazing year,” said the 30-year-old.

 

 

“I listened to my body for sure. I should have done that way before. But as a professional tennis player, as an athlete, you always try to push yourself to do more.

“For me, it was a bit tough, and thankfully it wasn’t too late to stop and take a break.

“I’ve learned with my experience and definitely still learning. The most important thing that I have learned is how to listen to my body and to know when to stop, when to take a break.

“And it’s okay to take a month or two off because it will help you have a deep breath and push for the next tournaments.”

During her time in Riyadh, the three-time Grand Slam finalist interacted with many young aspiring tennis players, who were keen to pick her brain on what it takes to become a professional athlete.

“I had a meet and greet with young girls, they were very nice to me, they asked me a lot of questions. They were amazing questions to answer,” said Jabeur with a smile.

 

 

“We talked a little bit, I got to know them more. They seem very motivated and hungry to become professional tennis players. I hope to see a bright future for them.

“They were different questions about my routines, about how I prepare for the match, how I decided to become a tennis player, what kind of advice I’d give them.

“And they were really on point questions, I’ve got to say. It was fun interacting with them, seeing that they’re truly interested in becoming professional.”

Jabeur also kept her eye on the court and enjoyed following the battle for the year-end No. 1 ranking between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.

Sabalenka leapfrogged Swiatek and reclaimed the year-end top spot ahead of these WTA Finals, for the first time in her career.

“It’s been amazing watching both fighting for this No. 1 spot. I think at the moment Aryna deserves it the best. She’s such a great friend and a great competitor. It’s nice. I hope they’ll keep fighting and get tired so I can take the first spot,” laughed Jabeur.

 

 

Jabeur was speaking to Arab News at the Kayanee flagship store in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, where her new collection is being launched.

The Saudi Arabia fitness and sports lifestyle brand signed a partnership deal with Jabeur at the start of 2024 and believes she perfectly aligns with Kayanee’s philosophy of fostering health, well-being, and personal growth.

“It’s an honor to be the ambassador of Kayanee. I feel like the perfect language for a woman is through fashion. And I wanted to share my ideas, how I am on the court, how I’m feeling comfortable with my outfit and share that with the rest of the world,” said Jabeur of her new collection.


Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out
Updated 07 November 2024
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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out
  • ATP Finals open Sunday without any members of the Big Three for the first time in nearly a quarter century
  • Big name missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are poised to add another entry into their rapidly developing rivalry when the ATP Finals open Sunday without any members of the Big Three for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
The top-ranked Sinner and No. 3 Alcaraz evenly split the year’s Grand Slam titles between them with two apiece and it would be fitting if the pair meet again in Turin.
And since Alcaraz was overtaken by Alexander Zverev in the rankings this week, the Spaniard could be placed in the same round-robin group as Sinner.
The draw for the eight-man event is scheduled for later Thursday.
After the round-robin stage, the top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.
The other qualifiers are: Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev.
The big name missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury.
23 years since Djokovic, Federer and Nadal missed the finals
Not since 2001 has the finals been held without at least one of Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. This season also was the first since 2002 without at least one Grand Slam title for a member of that trio.
Djokovic has won the ATP Finals a record seven times. He beat Sinner for the title last year.
Federer, who announced his retirement in 2022, won the event six times after making his debut in 2002; Nadal, who is retiring after playing in the Davis Cup the week after finals, was the runner-up twice at the finals but never won it.
Sinner withdrew from last week’s Paris Masters due to a virus and showed up early in Turin for training.
“This is for me the main event of the end of the year,” Sinner said.
A final decision in Sinner’s doping case is still pending
As an Italian, Sinner will be the main focus of attention in Turin.
It’s the first time that Sinner will be playing at home since it was announced before his US Open title that he had tested positive in two separate drug tests earlier in the year.
A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to make a final ruling on the case early next year.
Alcaraz has won all 3 of his official meetings with Sinner this year
Sinner opened this year by winning the Australian Open to become the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam singles title in nearly a half-century — since Adriano Panatta raised the French Open trophy in 1976.
Alcaraz then claimed the French Open and Wimbledon titles to raise his career total to four Grand Slams.
Sinner responded by winning the US Open.
Alcaraz won all three official meetings with Sinner this year and holds a 6-4 advantage in their career head-to-head rivalry. Last month, Sinner beat Alcaraz in the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
Zverev won in Paris last week and looks for a 3rd title at finals
The only two players in the field to have won the finals are Zverev and Medvedev.
Zverev won in London in 2018 and in Turin in 2021; while Medvedev triumphed in 2020 – the final year the event was held in London.
Zverev enters in solid form coming off a title at the Paris Masters.
Fritz is looking to add another big result after his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open; Ruud was a finalist in 2022; De Minaur is making his tournament debut; and Rublev is making his fifth straight appearance.
Biggest prize money on the men’s tour: $4.8 million
If a player wins all five of his matches en route to the trophy, he will earn $4.8 million – the largest winner’s prize on the men’s tour.
That’s significantly more than what Sinner and Alcaraz earned for their victories at the US Open ($3.6 million) and Wimbledon (2.7 million pounds or $3.45 million) this year.


Zheng advances to semis of WTA Finals in Riyadh with victory over Paolini

Zheng advances to semis of WTA Finals in Riyadh with victory over Paolini
Updated 06 November 2024
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Zheng advances to semis of WTA Finals in Riyadh with victory over Paolini

Zheng advances to semis of WTA Finals in Riyadh with victory over Paolini
  • The Olympic gold medalist, seeded 7th, sweeps aside 4th seed Paolini 6-1, 6-1 in just 67 minutes, her 30th win in 35 matches
  • Already eliminated Rybakina claims consolation 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 1 Sabalenka, who secured semi-final spot on Monday

RIYADH: Zheng Qinwen continues to deliver in her breakthrough season, as she advanced to last four of the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Wednesday with a victory over Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini.

The Chinese Olympic gold medalist swept past fourth seed Paolini 6-1, 6-1 in a mere 67 minutes. It was her 30th victory in 35 matches.

Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina claimed a consolation 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who had already secured her semi-final spot as group winner on Monday.

Rybakina, who was already out of the competition after losing her first two matches, finally found form against Sabalenka. It was a much-needed confidence boost for the world No. 5, who missed most of the second half of the season with allergies, insomnia and a back injury.

“It was a tough match and I’m really happy that I managed to win,” said Rybakina, who shared a warm embrace with Sabalenka at the net. “I think it’s nice to finish the year at least with one win against the world No. 1.”

The loss was only Sabalenka’s second in 24 matches. She was yet to learn who she will face in Friday’s semi-final but whatever happens, she has reason to celebrate as she clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking when Iga Swiatek was defeated by Coco Gauff on Tuesday.

However, the Belarusian does not intend to let that achievement distract her from the task at hand, which is to lift the WTA Finals trophy for the first time in her career.

“It’s a really great feeling but I figured that last night and it didn’t work really well tonight for me, so I just want to focus on the current tournament, to stay hungry and stay motivated, because it’s a big tournament and it’s also one of my goals, so I’ll focus on this goal,” Sabalenka said on Wednesday.

In the last day of round-robin action in the Purple Group, Zheng and Paolini were fighting it out for the second qualification spot behind Sabalenka.

Zheng, seeded seventh, locked down her place in the last four with a dominating performance as she became the first Chinese player to make it out of the group stage at the event since Li Na in 2013.

“That was 11 years ago; I’m really proud I could make it,” said the 22-year-old. “I didn’t know what to expect coming to these WTA Finals for the first time. I was in a very difficult group.

“It’s one of the best performances I’ve had during this year. Really good percentage of first serves. I felt really good on my groundstrokes and I made a couple of good volleys. I really enjoyed it.”

An aggressive return earned Zheng her first break of the match in game three and then she broke again and held her serves to go 5-1 up. Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist this season, saved one set point on her own serve in game seven but Zheng kept her foot on the gas to close out the 32-minute set on the second opportunity.

Zheng was just as impressive in the second set, and after saving a break point while serving for the match at 5-1 she closed out the win with her 12th ace of the match.

“I finally feel that my serve has started to be a bit more consistent,” said Zheng, who leads the tour in aces and first-serve points won this season.

This was her fourth victory in as many meetings with Paolini, who will remain in Riyadh to battle for a semi-final spot in the doubles competition alongside fellow Italian Sara Errani.

Since Wimbledon in July, Zheng has recorded the most wins of any woman on the tour. Besides taking gold in the singles at the Olympics, she defended her Palermo title, reached the quarter-finals of the US Open, the semi-finals in Beijing, the final in Wuhan, and lifted the trophy in Tokyo. Three of her five defeats during that run were at the hands of Sabalenka and she said she has been impressed by the Belarusian’s form this season. Zheng’s record against Sabalenka is 0-5, and she said this is a big source of motivation for her.

“She won two slams,” Zheng said. “This is really big achievement for her. And I remember last year, she won her first Grand Slam in the Australian Open. And then she kept going, kept working.

“But you know, both slams that she won this year, I lost against her on the way. Which means if I want to win a slam, I have to be able to beat her. And I’m quite excited for that day.”