Zheng Qinwen looks to emulate Li Na’s Australian Open success

MELBOURNE – There seemed a touch of destiny when Zheng Qinwen made the Australian Open final in 2024, a decade after trailblazing compatriot Li Na hoisted the women’s trophy.

She ended up being crushed by nemesis Aryna Sabalenka in the decider, but this season she will hope to go one better and join Li as the second Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Li’s exploits led to predictions of China’s rise in women’s tennis, fuelled by a generation of young girls inspired to pick up rackets.

Ten years on from the two-time Grand Slam champion’s retirement, it has not quite come to pass, but China is well represented at the highest levels, with four women in the top 100.

Zheng, ranked fifth in the world and seeded fifth at Melbourne Park, is the standout among them.

Having won the Olympic singles gold medal in Paris, a prize that eluded Li, the 22-year-old has shown she has the mental game to match the raw power to win on the biggest stages.

Her background and playing style have also inevitably drawn comparisons with her idol.

Zheng was born in Li’s home province of Hubei and trained in her hometown Wuhan.

Like Li, she boarded at a sports school from a tender age, as is standard for talented child athletes in China.

She later honed her game at a Beijing tennis academy under Carlos Rodriguez, who coached Li to the Australian Open title and her peak world ranking of No. 2.

Taller than Li by 6cm, she wields a similarly powerful forehand.

The pair first met in person during the last Australian Open, when Li snuck up on Zheng during a video interview at Melbourne Park and cheekily slapped her behind.

“I was feeling super happy to meet her and have the chance to talk with her,” said Zheng.

“I feel she’s much more beautiful than when I saw her on TV before.”

Late-blooming Li was 28 when she made her first Grand Slam final at the 2011 Australian Open, where she was beaten by Kim Clijsters. It took another three editions before she broke through by beating Dominika Cibulkova in 2014.

By that time, she was an established fan favourite, embraced by the Melbourne crowds for her chutzpah and sense of humour.

Similar acclaim beckons for Zheng, who is on a much faster track than Li.

She was 21 when she made the 2024 final and has her whole career ahead of her.

The loss to Sabalenka was a reality check for the young up-and-comer, who avoided playing a single seeded player in her run to the decider.

Her mental strength was questioned as she crashed out of the first round at Wimbledon with a shock defeat by New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun, following a third-round exit at the French Open.

The second half of the season was a dream though, as she shrugged off Wimbledon with an 11-match winning streak on clay to secure the gold at the Paris Olympics after clinching the Palermo title.

Her hard-court swing was also impressive, including a run to the US Open quarter-finals and another title in Tokyo, before signing off with a runner-up finish at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.

Queries of her record against top-10 players have been silenced with wins over five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek at the Olympics and Italian breakout star Jasmine Paolini at the WTA Finals.

Sabalenka remains a problem though. The world No. 1 has a 5-0 record over Zheng and knocked her out of both the US Open and the final of her home tournament in Wuhan.

Zheng vowed to return stronger to Melbourne Park after the 2024 final defeat by Sabalenka and has done just that.

Whether she is strong enough to take down the big Belarusian and two-time defending champion remains to be seen.

The Chinese blamed a sleepless night for her loss to Sabalenka at Flushing Meadows and a fever in Wuhan. Sabalenka sees her domination in simpler terms.

“I think (it’s) my mental strength,” she said after beating Zheng in the WTA Finals group stage. “That’s the advantage over her so far.” REUTERS