Qinwen Zheng completes her resurrection by becoming a prophet in her homeland

Carlos Navarro - 11 Oct 2026 | 15:22
Qinwen Zheng Mirra Andreeva WTA WTA Pekín 2026

The Chinese player crowned herself in Beijing after winning a closely contested final against Mirra Andreeva: she is approaching the top-20 and proves that her US Open performance was not a fluke.

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Qinwen Zheng, champion in Beijing

Imagine what it must be like to make history at home. When you achieve it after going through a torment of injuries, after doubting whether you would become that player who won the Olympic gold medal... the satisfaction, joy, and happiness must be threefold. Few deserved a moment like this as much as Qinwen Zheng: she is the first local player to conquer the WTA Beijing 2026, achieving the biggest title of her sports career at home after decisively defeating Mirra Andreeva in the final (7-5, 6-4).

The match was presented as a contest of clear attraction, featuring two young talents who needed, for one reason or another, a title to boost their confidence for the months ahead. Perhaps the Russian was more 'satisfied,' if that can be said: she secured her spot in the WTA Finals during the week, in addition to her first final since winning Roland Garros a few months ago. It was, without a doubt, a positive week on all fronts: for Zheng, winning the title meant breaking several mental chains that had gripped her since experiencing a 2025 filled with physical troubles.

Zheng saved three set points: that was the key to the final

Despite an initial break for the Russian, quickly recovered by her rival, the equality was the dominant theme of a set in which the service games progressed quickly, with both players finding good combinations, opening the court, and imposing their styles when they needed it the most. Everything seemed to change when, at the first moment of pressure of the set, Andreeva struck gold and, with a 5-4 lead, obtained up to three set points on return... and here came, of course, the big turning point of the match.

Qinwen woke up and freed herself, emerging victorious from that contest and finding the confidence to remove any shackles, using the pressure of playing at home to her advantage. What happened next awoke the crowd: eight straight points, a break to love, and a consolidation without dropping a point to take the first step towards being a prophet in her land.

The match had changed in an instant, finding an unexpected plot twist that Zheng clung to for a triumphant start to the second set. Mirra reacted quickly, not wanting to throw in the towel without fighting until the end... but the wind was now blowing in favor of the Chinese player, who grew stronger towards the end of the second set and, above all, exhibited fantastic agility to not succumb to the pressure before reaching the finish line, saving a 0-30 in the final game with several great serves, a dominance with her forehand that confirmed itself as the definitive weapon, and a final point where she fell exhausted onto the Chinese concrete, capping off a chapter of lights and shadows in her career.

Qinwen has made history: she is the first local champion of the Beijing tournament, and this is also the most important title of her sports career and her first WTA 1000 (thus giving her Olympic medal a different distinction). It is the boost she also needed for her ranking: she will leave Chinese soil as the new #23 in the world, gaining 31 positions and approaching the leading group from which she perhaps should never have departed. What happened at the US Open was not an illusion: Qinwen Zheng is back, with renewed mental strength after approaching the abyss of this sport and a bold attacking style of tennis that she never lost. The rest of the women's circuit should prepare themselves.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Qinwen Zheng completa su resurrección siendo profeta en su tierra