Zheng Qinwen Battles Back to Reach US Open Quarter-Finals After Epic Career Resurgence

Qinwen Zheng navigated a turbulent journey of highs and lows to secure her spot in the US Open quarter-finals on Monday, defeating major winners Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in back-to-back matches to ignite an incredible career comeback.

China's Zheng once held all the momentum two years ago, celebrating an Olympic gold medal, a maiden major final at the Australian Open, and a top-10 ranking. However, a persistent elbow injury halted her progress entirely, leading to a first-round exit at Wimbledon in 2025 and subsequent surgery.

Following a difficult 2026 season filled with early exits—including first-round defeats at the French Open and the All England Club—she slipped to 121st in the rankings, requiring her to battle through qualifying rounds in New York.

"Psychologically, it is very difficult to accept. I mean, I used to be top 10, Olympic champion. I play in the big stadiums since the beginning," Zheng shared. "I know people have a lot of doubt about me, and it's just really hard for me. I just need to keep positive every single day, telling myself, 'Just keep working, and let's see when the result gonna happen'."

Her resilience was fully evident in New York. She famously erased a 0-5 deficit in the decisive set against 2017 finalist Madison Keys in the third round, before overcoming another 0-5 deficit in the opening set to defeat Iga Swiatek in the fourth round. She credited her turnaround to a rigorous training block implemented with her coach following a tough qualifying defeat in Toronto.

Zheng is now scheduled to face second-seeded Elena Rybakina next.

Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka reflected on her fourth-round US Open defeat on Monday, which extended her wait for another Grand Slam title. Despite losing 6-1, 6-4 to Elena Rybakina while managing an Achilles injury, Osaka maintained a philosophical outlook shaped by motherhood and life beyond tennis.

"I had a kid, you know? There's a lot that happened in that time," Osaka said. "If I reflect on my career and the things I've been able to do, there's nothing that I regret, or there's nothing that I'm sad about. If I win another Grand Slam, it's not going to change my life."