Olympic champion Zheng defeats Andreeva to win China Open final, ending two-year title drought

Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic champion, won her first title in two years by beating French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the China Open final on Sunday.

Zheng clinched the title with her first match point, serving an ace to Andreeva’s backhand side, and then fell to the court sobbing with emotion.

A Steep Fall and a Quick Return

An elbow injury sent Zheng’s ranking plummeting from a career-high No. 4 last year to 160 this season. She came into her home tournament as a wild card ranked No. 54 and will now return to the top 30, according to the WTA.

“I’ve been through a very tough year,” Zheng said in English during a trophy presentation that had a touch of karaoke. She sang a pop song to roars of appreciation from the fans in the arena.

A Strong Run Before the Injury Setback

Zheng enjoyed a stellar 2024. She reached the final of the Australian Open, won the singles title at the Paris Olympics at Roland Garros, and then took her fifth career WTA title in Japan in October.

As a qualifier at the US Open in August, Zheng showed that her old form had returned. She advanced to the quarter-finals after twice rallying from 5-0 down in matches she won against Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek.

Andreeva Still Set for a Career-High Ranking

Despite the loss, Andreeva is set to rise to a career-high No. 3 ranking. She held three set points on Sunday while leading 5-4 in the first set, but Zheng then reeled off 11 straight points to take the set.

“For sure today she played great,” Andreeva said of Zheng. “It’s also very nice to see her playing better and coming back.”