Zheng: "I know my potential, I want to win it all"

Qinwen Zheng is back. There is no better way to communicate her return to the elite than with the title at the WTA 1000 Beijing 2026 after a splendid week. In case her tennis hadn't spoken clearly enough, the Chinese player made powerful statements in a press conference reviewing the ordeal she suffered and how much she has learned from it.

A blessing for tennis. This is the only way to define what the return to the highest competitive level of Qinwen Zheng means, a player as charismatic as she is a winner, whose ambition to make history is only comparable to her infinite technical and tactical resources. She sees the title at the WTA 1000 Beijing 2026 as a redemption after her odyssey of injuries, but also as the beginning of something much bigger.

This is what Qinwen Zheng said after becoming champion in Beijing

What the title means to Zheng

"Honestly, after winning this title, I felt that I had finally made it, that I was making history again. I have always wanted to surpass myself because everyone asks me about the great achievements I made in 2024. I always respond that the best is yet to come."

"Each match had its own difficulties, so it's hard for me to pinpoint one single moment as the hardest. Today's final was also difficult, just like the six previous matches. Each one had complicated moments."

"When I faced my opponents, I was also fighting against myself, against my own weaknesses and that inner desire to win."

"I need to play aggressively, but I also need to control my mistakes. In the decisive moments, I cannot hold back. It's something I have been trying to resolve for a long time, and I am very happy to have achieved it."

"I remember very well what happened at the US Open, when I had opportunities on the return, but I wasn’t able to break my opponent's serve. I keep that in mind. In this tournament, I managed to prevent that from happening again: I knew how to capitalize on my opportunities."

"I can tell you that the nerves were quite similar to those I had in the Olympic final. Before the matches, in both cases, I felt like I was going to vomit. That shows how much I wanted to win. On one hand, it is a positive thing, but on the other hand, wanting to win so much also makes it hard for me to relax."

"Everyone told me that I had already made history by reaching the final, but I didn't want to stop there. I wanted to be a champion. If you want to keep making history, you have to win titles, not just settle for reaching finals."

"In a way, I was also competing against myself. Today I felt a lot of support from the crowd, and that motivated me even more. Whenever I play the China Open, I want to show my best tennis in front of my people."

How far she is from reaching her best level

"I wouldn't know exactly how far I am from reaching my best version. What is certain is that I have achieved something I had never accomplished, and I did it at 23 years old."

"I know many people said that I still hadn't won a WTA 1000 tournament. It is true that I am an Olympic champion, which is extraordinary, but I still have many goals to accomplish. I want to achieve them all so that no one can reproach me for those things again."

"I am very happy to have taken the first steps. I still have a lot to achieve, and I am very eager to see what the rest of my career has in store for me. I know my potential, and I don’t want to regret anything when I retire from tennis. I want to give it my all during my journey."

The ordeal of injuries and the lessons learned

"I remember perfectly what happened last year. It feels like it was yesterday. Right after my first match, I felt that I couldn’t keep serving."

"At that moment, I still didn't understand the injury very well, and I didn't have enough experience to know how to act. That's why I kept playing. After withdrawing from that match, I didn't compete again until February. It was a long time."

"At the beginning of this tournament, I didn't expect to become the champion. I just wanted to take it one match at a time and see how far I could go."

"I remember that last year Noskova beat me, and then she reached the final. That shows that even being injured, my level was still very high."

"I feel very fortunate to have won this title this year. Additionally, it was the first time I was able to celebrate my birthday in Beijing. Before the tournament started, my team kept cheering me on and telling me to try to achieve it. I am very glad to have accomplished that."

"Honestly, I thought the slump would last one or two months. I didn’t imagine it would extend to six."

"During those six months, I was forced to learn many things, and I also rediscovered myself. When I wasn’t playing well, many voices and opinions emerged. I learned to coexist with them and not let them affect me. All of that has made me stronger."

"Everyone goes through difficult times, but I live under a microscope and in front of cameras. Every word and gesture is exposed. That's why going through a rough patch doesn’t have to be a negative thing. I couldn’t exactly explain everything I’ve learned, but I can show it through my tennis."

What she would say to herself during the toughest moments of the injury

"I would tell myself to stay humble when losing because there are always reasons behind a defeat. It may not only relate to what you are doing at that moment but also to what has happened in the two or three months prior."

"You have to be humble and keep your head high. Don’t let the crown fall off. Even when going through a rough patch, remember everything you have achieved and the accomplishments you have made. My father is very outgoing, as you can see. He loves to pose for the cameras and lift the trophy for photos. I think he has something special. He is quite a character."

Influence in China and what it means to be a role model for the youth

"After winning the Olympic gold in 2024, I have always been aware of how much I can inspire people. In 2025, I went through a major change in my career and had to undergo a significant operation on my elbow, which was not easy at all. When I was going through my worst moment, many people said I wouldn’t be able to come back and doubted me."

"Even my friends were asking me what was happening during that period. I didn’t know what to tell them because I felt that after returning from the injury, I had forgotten how to compete."

"After stringing together many defeats, I finally found that spark again when I started competing once more. I have always said that tennis is not just about hitting the ball, but also about how much you want to win."

"I am very grateful to have regained that inner strength. Now my goal is to reach the best version of myself."

"On the path of tennis, you encounter defeats, moments of confusion, and also the joy of growth. It is a beautiful sport. You have to enjoy it, truly feel it, and love it from the bottom of your heart. That is one way to develop your full potential."

"I don’t think a young child can fully understand that message just yet. What I can tell them is to enjoy and appreciate each day. That's what I did when I was a kid."

These statements from Qinwen Zheng are very symptomatic and significant, as well as a warning to her rivals. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and she has managed to go through a true odyssey, now possessing a very important background to leverage to become a better tennis player. Her success at the WTA 1000 Beijing 2026 predicts great joy for her in the coming times.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zheng: "Sé cual es mi potencial, quiero ganarlo todo"