The Rise of Qinwen Zheng at the 2026 US Open

Qinwen Zheng has had great Grand Slam success in the past, even making it to the 2024 Australian Open finals before losing to Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2. She also won Olympic gold that same year in women’s singles by defeating Donna Vekić 6-2, 6-3.

Due to an injury and a less-than-exceptional season so far, the 23-year-old fell down to a No. 121 WTA ranking and had to play the qualifying rounds. Yesterday, she beat No. 8 Iga Świątek in straight sets.

Recovering from Injury

On July 19th, 2025, Zheng announced that she had undergone surgery on her right elbow the day before because she had had persistent pain in the joint for several months. She said that the procedure was “a necessary step toward a better version of myself on the court.”

The road back from that injury and surgery was long and rocky, including a return and retirement at the China Open in September after her elbow began acting up again. She took more time off and returned in February of this year, slowly crawling her way back up the rankings with near-constant third-round exits.

Zheng was knocked out of the opening round of this year’s French Open and left the world’s top 100 entirely. The same thing happened at Wimbledon, and she dropped so low that she would not directly qualify for a spot at this year’s US Open.

Pre-Tournament Preparation

To prepare for the qualifying rounds at Flushing Meadows, Zheng traveled with her team to train at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. She also skipped the Cincinnati Open after getting knocked out during the qualifying rounds of the Canadian Open. It was clear that something needed to change.

Zheng claims that the tough practices in the hot and humid Florida climate helped her play better once she got to New York, saying, “You only play 20 minutes of tennis and you sweat from top to bottom … when I came here, the temperature was really nice. Everything seemed easier with the conditions.”

Zheng’s 2026 US Open So Far

Zheng’s training has clearly paid off, and she’s already had her best tournament experience all season. She made it through the qualifiers with remarkable ease, dropping only one set to Elena Pridankina during the final round. When reflecting on these matches, Zheng said, “I had a lot of emotions when playing the qualies. I fought so hard, just to start like everyone else. For me, that was really not easy.”

In the first round, Zheng defeated neutral athlete Kristina Liutova in three sets (4-6, 6-3, 6-1). The next round was another tough three-set match, defeating neutral athlete Yulina Pulintseva 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. She faced her toughest opponent yet against No. 24 Madison Keys and won in three sets (1-6, 7-6, 7-5), including the second set going to a 7-3 tiebreaker game.

On Monday, Zheng had a miraculous match against 2023 US Champion Iga Świątek. She was down 5-0 in the first set but then came back to win in straight sets (7-5, 6-3). In a post-match interview, she showed much greater confidence and said, “I guess coming back from 0-5 yesterday was not luck. That is all I can say.”

Past US Open Performances

Since she made her main-draw debut in 2022, Zheng has performed well at the US Open. She reached the third round her first time, defeating former champion Jelena Ostapenko but losing to Jule Niemeier in straight sets (6-2, 6-1).

In both 2023 and 2024, Zheng made it to the quarterfinals but fell to that year’s champion, Aryna Sabalenka. The first ended 6-1, 6-4, and the next ended 6-1, 6-2. She missed the 2025 tournament due to her elbow injury.

Following in Emma Raducanu’s 2001 footsteps, Zheng could become the second qualifier to win the US Open women’s singles event. Even if she fails to beat red-hot Elena Rybakina tomorrow afternoon, Zheng has officially refound her confidence and her footing at Flushing Meadows.

“Once I kept winning, winning, winning, I felt like the rhythm of the matches was coming back,” she said. “I found myself again on court. I found the fire. I found the energy on court.”

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