Novak Djokovic reveals his admiration for Qinwen Zheng in Shanghai
Novak Djokovic and Qinwen Zheng would have to wait for their potential meetup as they are in Shanghai and Wuhan, respectively.
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Qinwen Zheng and Novak Djokovic (images via X)
Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic has expressed his full admiration for Chinese superstar Qinwen Zheng during his current tournament in Shanghai. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is aiming for his 100th ATP tour singles title this weekend.
In his post-match press conference, Djokovic first wished Zheng a happy 22nd birthday. He then spoke about the impact of the Asian player following her Olympic gold medal win.
Happy birthday to her. I heard it’s her birthday. She’s so young. She made China proud this year at the Olympic games. She brought the gold medal, I think first ever in tennis for China, so it’s a big deal. She’s a great person, and a really, really good player that keeps on improving. I like to watch her, I’m a big fan of her as a person and as a player. We have a nice relationship off the court, and when we have a chance, we chat.
Novak Djokovic said in his Shanghai post-match press conference
Zheng has also spoken highly of Djokovic in the past. The Chinese star was even asked about the possibility of taking selfies with the World No.4, both holding their Olympic singles gold medals.
So, of course I’m there, she know that’s I’m available to her, to her coaching team any time she wants to ask for advice or anything like that. I heard about the picture for the gold medal, with the gold medal, so that would be fun, that would be great. I don’t know if it’s going to happen before Australia, because our schedules are different, but maybe in Australia we can bring the medals (laughing) and we can do it there.
Novak Djokovic added
Currently, Djokovic and Zheng have different schedules, as they are in separate cities—Djokovic in Shanghai and Zheng in Wuhan. However, they hope to meet soon and celebrate their historic achievements from the Paris Olympics.
Qinwen Zheng leapfrogs Emma Navarro in the WTA Finals Qualification race
Qinwen Zheng is on course to make her debut at the WTA Finals after climbing to seventh place in the Live Race to Riyadh. The World No. 7 started her Wuhan Open campaign strongly on Wednesday (October 9), delighting her home crowd with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.
This victory follows Zheng’s recent semi-final run at the China Open, another WTA 1000 event. With her second-round win in Wuhan, Zheng, who just celebrated her 22nd birthday, now has 3,580 points. She is slightly ahead of World No. 8 Emma Navarro, who has 3,568 points. Navarro’s early exits in both recent WTA 1000 tournaments have hurt her chances of qualifying.
In previous years, finishing eighth would have secured a spot in the year-end championships. However, new 2024 rules guarantee Grand Slam champions a place if they finish in the top 20. Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, currently in 12th place, is expected to qualify, pushing out whoever finishes eighth.
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Fahad Hamid
(718 Articles Published)