Qatar Open: “I started to realise I should be proud of myself” – Qinwen Zheng

Finalist in Melbourne, Qinwen Zheng hopes for more but has understood she should still give herself some praise even when she misses the trophy

Qinwen Zheng (Andy Wong/AP/SIPA)

Carole Bouchard

February 14, 2024

A fire under control. That’s the image that stays when talking about Qinwen Zheng. On the court or off the court. It’s a striking contrast with Aryna Sabalenka, who spoiled her day at the Australian Open final: Sabalenka is a bundle of energy that for a long time has been unable to get it under control, before she put the effort in to tweak her nature a bit. Zheng has always known perfectly well that she had to keep it together because her power and her ambition could be the best tools but also the worst flaws. Will it be enough to clinch that Grand Slam title? Nobody knows, but at least she knows the way and that’s already a stepping stone.

At 21, the world No 7 is wise beyond her years. She speaks slowly, making sure each word counts and is understood. She makes every effort to stay grounded. She knows the path to the top can be lost quickly even when you’ve just found it. Now each time she steps on the court, people are expecting her to win big as she’s not this young player with amazing potential but now officially a contender for all the titles. She’s fine with it. Because Zheng is focused on one thing: not letting others define who she is.

“I always tell myself that I must know who I am”, Zheng

“Of course, there’s more attention on me right now and more people know about me, but I always tell myself that I must know who I am. Not because people are saying ‘Qinwen is like this or Qinwen is like that.’ I know inside what I am capable of so I have to show up and keep the focus every day to show what I can do on a tennis court.”

Pressure comes with the territory but when Zheng sets foot on the court she doesn’t think the result will define her quality as a player. “All the top players think they have to win, but in the end you have to fight. Winning doesn’t mean that your tennis is better than theirs, it’s about who will adjust better through the match of the day. If you have a good mindset then yes it’s easier to keep the pressure off your shoulders. If you think about the pressure, then the pressure will come to you. But if you think you can use the pressure, it can be very useful in the end.”

“When I face a loss directly, I have zero pride in myself! “

Ambition is burning through her quiet composure, and sometimes she admits that it can be too much. It was the case after losing that final in Melbourne: she just couldn’t look at her run with a smile. “That was good to reach the final, but of course, after the match, I felt a little bit sad about the way I lost. But I’ll try to come back and I talked with my team to see what I can improve to show up already at the next tournament. There’s a difference between the champion and the second place, I always say that, so for me, that is just the beginning and I wish next time I could do better.”

“sometimes too many expectations can curse you”

Getting back to practice and to the routine of her job to prepare for the WTA 1000 in Doha hasn’t been tough for Zheng. She didn’t feel it weird to get back at it after the many highs of Melbourne. “It was not tough at all! I kept everything the same because I have a really good team that always tries to keep my hunger, and they told me there are many things I can improve, so it gives me a big motivation to try and do it.”

Back on Tour in Doha, she seems to be unbothered by her new status. Or, more, she seems to be just where she always thought she should be: among the best. “I always felt my rise was a bit slower than what I would have expected, but everybody has a different path so I accept that my way took three years to arrive, at 21. Since I was ten years old, I knew what I wanted to do so I expected much bigger things but sometimes too many expectations can curse you and that’s what happened to me at the beginning of last year. Now I just accept that everything can happen and it’s all about how you react.”

“When I find that balance, I’m the best player on the court”

In Melbourne or this week in Doha, Qinwen Zheng is focused on just one word and it should remain like that for her entire career: balance. That’s what she credits for her success: a better mindset. “I’m trying to stay calmer on the court, but of course, I need to find the right balance because if I am too calm, I lose part of the energy. But if you get overwhelmed by that energy, you lose control and can’t think properly on the court. When I find that balance, I’m the best player on the court. I still have lots of things to improve to find the best me. I have to always keep the focus on the court: that’s the only way I can be a really good player.” A player who knows their strength will never be as dangerous as one who knows their flaws and is dead on fixing them.