On the evening of October 12, the applause and cheers erupted multiple times for two shining stars of Chinese tennis during the WTA 1000 event at the Wuhan Optics Valley International Tennis Center.
The match featured Zheng Qinwen and Wang Xinyu, both of whom reached the semifinals of the 2024 Wuhan Open. This marked the first time in WTA 1000 history that two Chinese players faced off in a semifinal.
Reflecting on this milestone before the match, Zheng expressed her pride, stating, “Playing against Wang Xinyu in such a significant moment shows that China has excellent players, and our level has improved compared to the past.”
Despite having grown together through their junior careers, Zheng and Wang had never competed against each other in the professional circuit until this highly anticipated showdown. Zheng emerged victorious with a score of 6-3, 6-4, becoming the first Chinese player to reach the finals of the Wuhan Open, and this will also be her debut in the WTA 1000 finals.
Both 22-year-old Zheng and 23-year-old Wang had exceptional performances at the recent Paris Olympics, with Zheng securing the women’s singles gold medal and Wang earning a silver in mixed doubles. As representatives of a new generation of Chinese tennis, the two have already made a name for themselves on the global stage, with “breakthrough” becoming a central theme of their careers.
Just last week, Zheng made her way to the semifinals of the China Open for the first time in a WTA 1000 event. Returning to her home province of Hubei, she battled through tough matches over two consecutive days to reach the semifinals again.
Wang, competing in the Wuhan Open for the first time, has also seen remarkable progress. She advanced from the first round by defeating American player Dolehide and followed up with a comeback against Italy’s Brancetti. Wang also took down American star and second seed Pegula in the third round and reversed a deficit against Russia’s Alexandrova in the quarterfinals, making her way to the semifinals and setting new personal records along the way.
As the match concluded, the two “flowers” of Chinese tennis shared a heartfelt handshake. Wang reflected on their journey, noting, “Over the past few years, both Zheng and I have been growing and improving. Competing at a high level with familiar faces has been enriching and has shown us our potential for further growth.”
Zheng was quick to acknowledge Wang’s influence, saying, “Thank you, Qinwen, for winning the Olympic gold medal. I feel that tennis is becoming increasingly popular in China, and the arena was packed.” Under the influence of emerging stars like Zheng and Wang, a tennis craze is sweeping across China, and two-time Wuhan Open champion and top seed Aryna Sabalenka noted the ever-growing atmosphere of tennis enthusiasm in the country after her own semifinal win.
