On October 5th, during the women’s singles semifinals at the 2024 China Open in Beijing, Chinese player Zheng Qianwen faced a challenging match against Czech star Karolina Muchova. Unfortunately, Zheng experienced a fall during the game that resulted in an injury to her fingers. Despite her efforts, she ultimately lost the match with a score of 0-2, thereby missing out on a spot in the finals.
The China Open, often referred to as the “Zhong Wang,” continued at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, where Zheng was unable to advance to the finals. In their previous encounters, the two players had each claimed a victory, but this time, Zheng struggled after her fall in the sixth game of the first set. Following a medical timeout, she fought through the pain but dropped the first set 3-6. In the second set, despite saving two match points, she lost 4-6, sealing her exit from the tournament.
Despite her semifinals exit, Zheng’s performance marked a personal best at the China Open and was significant as it was her first time reaching the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event, matching the best result by a home player in the tournament’s history.
At the post-match press conference, Zheng reflected on her accident, saying, “I fell because I was too tired; my foot wasn’t steady. After falling, it hurt a lot, and three of my fingers were scraped and bleeding. It made it difficult to move later on. Primarily, I felt mentally drained, like I hadn’t slept well.” She acknowledged that she hadn’t had enough rest leading up to the tournament, stating, “My physical and mental states weren’t where I wanted them to be, making it hard to concentrate. I believe I can perform better.”
Looking ahead, Zheng is set to compete in the Wuhan Open as she continues to pursue a spot in the year-end finals. Commenting on her preparation, she said, “I will take it one match at a time. First, I need to recover physically and mentally, get enough rest, and enter the matches at 100%, ready to showcase my best game.”
