Qinwen Zheng made history in Beijing on Oct. 11, defeating Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 to become the first Chinese woman to win the China Open singles title. The victory delivered a landmark moment for the home crowd and a major milestone in Zheng’s comeback.
The 24-year-old Chinese star entered the tournament as a wildcard while working her way back from an elbow injury and a difficult stretch away from competition. She finished the week by defeating the fourth-seeded Andreeva in 1 hour, 43 minutes.
The title was Zheng’s first WTA 1000 championship and her sixth career singles trophy on the WTA Tour. She also became the first Chinese singles champion since the tournament’s reinauguration in 2004. The WTA’s official report confirmed the historic result.
The final brought together Zheng, the home favorite, and Andreeva, the 19-year-old French Open champion. Andreeva entered as the No. 4 seed, while Zheng relied on a wildcard invitation to compete in the main draw.
Zheng won the opening set 7-5 after saving 3 set points. She then carried that momentum into the second set, breaking Andreeva late before closing out the match 6-4 with a decisive ace.
The result made Zheng the first Chinese woman to capture the China Open singles crown. Since the tournament’s 2004 reinauguration, Chinese players had gone 0-7 in semifinal appearances before Zheng became the first to reach the final. The China Open’s official coverage documented the achievement.
Andreeva made the opening set competitive by taking an early break and putting pressure on Zheng’s serve. The Chinese player responded quickly, leveling the set and keeping herself within reach as both players fought for control.
At 5-4 down, Zheng faced 3 set points on her serve. She saved all 3, held to level the score and then won the next 2 games to take the set. That stretch proved crucial to the outcome.
Zheng continued to apply pressure in the second set rather than allowing Andreeva to recover. She found a late break and served out the match, finishing with an ace that brought the crowd to its feet and confirmed her first WTA 1000 title.
The China Open is a WTA 1000 event, one of the tour’s most important tournament categories outside the Grand Slams and the year-end WTA Finals. Winning it represented the biggest WTA Tour title of Zheng’s career.
The championship was also her sixth career singles title and her first since winning the Tokyo title in late 2024. Her latest victory came after a period in which injuries interrupted her progress and limited her time on court.
Zheng had previously reached a Grand Slam final at the 2024 Australian Open, finishing runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka. Her China Open win added another major achievement to a career that already included Olympic gold and a place among the sport’s leading players.
Zheng’s path to the Beijing trophy was not straightforward. An elbow injury and subsequent surgery in 2025 disrupted her schedule, followed by a long rehabilitation process that affected her ability to compete consistently.
Her ranking fell during the absence, leaving her outside the world’s top 100 earlier in 2026. Returning to a major home tournament as a wildcard gave her an opportunity to rebuild momentum in front of supporters familiar with her rise.
The China Open run showed the value of that return. Zheng worked through demanding early matches before producing straight-set wins in the quarterfinals, semifinals and final. Her title demonstrated progress, though it did not erase the need to manage her physical condition carefully.
Zheng’s tournament began with a three-set victory over fellow Chinese player Shi Han, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-2. She then advanced past Anna Kalinskaya after the Russian retired in the deciding set.
The next rounds remained demanding. Zheng defeated Marie Bouzkova in 3 sets and overcame Alina Charaeva in another extended match, requiring resilience and consistency to survive the early stages of the draw.
She finished the tournament strongly, beating Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (6), followed by Elise Mertens 7-5, 6-2. The final against Andreeva was her seventh match of the event and her third consecutive straight-set victory. The WTA’s tournament overview lists the route both finalists took to the championship match.
Zheng’s win was particularly meaningful because no Chinese woman had previously captured the China Open singles title. The tournament has been played in Beijing since 2004 as part of the WTA Tour, and the home crowd had never celebrated a local women’s singles champion.
The achievement also followed Zheng’s Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games in 2024. That victory had already made her a major figure in Chinese sport, and winning a WTA 1000 event at home added another milestone to her career.
After the final, Zheng celebrated with a spontaneous karaoke performance, singing “Light of Dreams,” the theme song from the Chinese animated series Shenbing Kids. The unusual trophy celebration quickly became a memorable part of the championship story. The China Open’s account described the celebration and the crowd’s reaction.
The championship was followed by a change to Zheng’s schedule. On Oct. 12, the WTA reported that she had withdrawn from the Wuhan Open because of a right shoulder injury. Andreeva also withdrew, citing a change in schedule.
The decision came after Zheng’s demanding stretch of matches, which included the U.S. Open, Billie Jean King Cup competition and the China Open. Her withdrawal prevented her from playing in front of hometown supporters in Wuhan this week.
Zheng’s immediate priority is recovery. As of Oct. 14, she remained scheduled to play the WTA 250 Japan Open in Osaka, which begins Oct. 19. Her Beijing championship also lifted her 31 places to No. 23 in the WTA rankings, strengthening her position ahead of the remainder of the season.
Fun fact: Zheng Qinwen spent 15 hours and 16 minutes on court across her 7 China Open matches, the longest tournament run recorded by any WTA player in 2026.
- Qinwen Zheng defeated Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 on Oct. 11 to win the China Open women’s singles title.
- She became the first Chinese woman to win the tournament’s singles championship.
The victory marked Zheng’s first WTA 1000 title and sixth career singles trophy.
Zheng’s run followed an injury-disrupted period and included wins over Elina Svitolina and Elise Mertens.
She withdrew from the Wuhan Open on Oct. 12, citing a right shoulder injury.
Qinwen Zheng defeated Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 on Oct. 11 to win the China Open women’s singles title.
She became the first Chinese woman to win the tournament’s singles championship.
The victory marked Zheng’s first WTA 1000 title and sixth career singles trophy.
Zheng’s run followed an injury-disrupted period and included wins over Elina Svitolina and Elise Mertens.
She withdrew from the Wuhan Open on Oct. 12, citing a right shoulder injury.
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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