Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen became the first Chinese player to win the China Open on Sunday, defeating French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the final at the Capital Group Diamond in Beijing. The 24-year-old wildcard, ranked No. 54 after a year of injury setbacks, sealed her maiden WTA 1000 title with an ace on her first match point and collapsed to the court in tears of joy.
FAKTA
- Zheng Qinwen beat Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the China Open final in Beijing on October 11, 2026
- She is the first Chinese player to win the tournament since its inception in 2004
- It is Zheng’s maiden WTA 1000 title and her sixth WTA Tour title — her first trophy since Tokyo in October 2024
- The wildcard, ranked No. 54, returned from right elbow surgery in July 2025 after her ranking had fallen as low as No. 160
- Andreeva, ranked No. 5, will rise to a career-high No. 3 despite the defeat; Zheng returns to the top 25 at No. 23
China Open final: Zheng’s comeback moment
Zheng saved three set points in the first set with Andreeva serving at 5-4, levelled at 5-5, and then won 11 consecutive points to take the set 7-5, sending down an ace to close it. In the second set, Andreeva saved three break points at 4-4, but Zheng broke in the ninth game and sealed the match in one hour and 43 minutes with an ace on her first match point.
The crowd in Beijing was at times disruptive as cheers erupted before points ended, but Zheng held her nerve on the big points. “The feeling is incredible. Winning here in Beijing, in front of my home crowd, has always been one of my dreams,” she said after the match.
A year of setbacks before glory
Zheng’s triumph completes a remarkable comeback. Since winning Olympic gold at Paris 2024, a persistent right elbow injury disrupted her career and required surgery in July 2025. Her ranking subsequently fell from a career-high No. 4 to as low as No. 160 in mid-June 2026. She played the US Open as a qualifier in August and reached the quarterfinals, twice rallying from 5-0 deficits.
Her powerful serve was decisive throughout the Beijing week — she hit 51 aces, a total surpassed at a single tour-level event this season only by world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, who hit 54 at the US Open. “I’ve been through a very tough year,” Zheng said. “This title belongs to all of you, too.”
Final match facts
| Stat | Zheng Qinwen | Mirra Andreeva |
|---|---|---|
| Result | Winner | Runner-up |
| Sets | 7-5, 6-4 | 5-7, 4-6 |
| Match duration | 1 hour 43 minutes | |
| Set points saved | 3 (first set) | — |
| Ranking after tournament | No. 23 | Career-high No. 3 |
Respect for Andreeva
Zheng paid tribute to the 19-year-old Russian, congratulating Andreeva on her French Open title earlier this year. “Mirra is a great player… you are such a young and talented player, and congratulations to you and your team on everything you’ve achieved,” she said during the trophy ceremony. The final was the pair’s second meeting at the China Open — Zheng also beat Andreeva in the 2024 quarterfinals.
Read more on the road to the final at watannews.dk, where Andreeva reached the semifinals earlier this week.
Conclusion
Zheng Qinwen’s historic China Open victory — the first by a home player in the tournament’s 22-year history — caps one of tennis’s great comeback stories. From elbow surgery and a ranking slide to No. 160, she is back among the game’s elite, and the home crowd in Beijing will remember this night for a very long time.
