Zheng Qinwen staged a remarkable comeback at the US Open, overcoming six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek with a 7-5, 6-3 victory to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. Initially, Swiatek appeared dominant, taking a commanding 5-0 lead in the first set. Yet, Zheng turned the match on its head, claiming seven straight games to win the set. Her momentum carried into the second set, where she sealed what is arguably one of the most impressive wins of her career.
This victory is even more astonishing given that Zheng pulled off a similar feat in her previous match against Madison Keys. In that encounter, Keys led 5-0 in the deciding set before Zheng mounted an extraordinary rally, winning seven consecutive games. Zheng’s path to the US Open has not been easy; she struggled with consistency earlier in the season due to an elbow injury and subsequent surgery, which saw her ranking plummet to No. 160. Despite these setbacks, she began the tournament in the qualifying rounds.
The 23-year-old has shown resilience, reminiscent of her achievements like winning Olympic gold in Paris and reaching the final of the 2024 Australian Open. Her current performance in New York has her once again being regarded as a formidable contender, having now won seven matches at this tournament.
In the upcoming quarter-final, Zheng will face the second seed, Elena Rybakina. Rybakina advanced to the last eight with a decisive 6-1, 6-4 win against two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka. Rybakina’s powerful and consistent play was evident as she hit 29 winners in just 66 minutes, while Osaka struggled with her serve and was hampered by Achilles pain.
Meanwhile, the fifth seed, Mirra Andreeva, has also progressed to the US Open quarter-finals for the first time, defeating Austria’s Anastasia Potapova in a hard-fought 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 match.