Qinwen Zheng hopes to play tennis and celebrate Olympic Gold medal success with Novak Djokovic in China
Qinwen Zheng and Novak Djokovic were both history makers at the Paris Olympics, winning the Olympic Singles Gold medals.
Qinwen Zheng and Novak Djokovic (images via X)
Chinese tennis superstar Qinwen Zheng has expressed her wish to play tennis with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in her home country. The 21-year-old is enjoying her best moment of the season as she returns to China and prepares for the Shanghai Masters.
Currently, Zheng is competing at the China Open, where she has progressed to the Round of 16. Her matches are drawing full crowds due to the recognition she gained after winning an Olympic Gold medal in August. She hopes to make her Shanghai Masters experience memorable by playing alongside Djokovic.
I haven’t yet had the chance to take a photo with him, both of us holding Olympic gold medals. If the opportunity arises, I hope to do so. I really want to play tennis with him.
Qinwen Zheng said in the pre-tournament press conference
Zheng defeated World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals and then beat Donna Vekic in the Gold medal match to secure her Olympic title. Meanwhile, Djokovic won against Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinals and Carlos Alcaraz in the Gold medal match.
Djokovic’s victory in Paris was particularly meaningful for him, as he had been pursuing the Olympic Gold medal for a long time. In fact, he was seen carrying the medal at the US Open, where he lost in the third round to Alexei Popyrin.
Novak Djokovic bids for more history at the Shanghai Masters
Novak Djokovic is back in China for the Shanghai Masters, his first visit since 2019. He has some important goals this year. Although he has admitted that he struggles to stay motivated for events outside of Grand Slams and the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals, many were surprised when he chose to play in China.
With a big exhibition event in Saudi Arabia coming up, Djokovic could have taken it easy for the rest of the year. Instead, he is focused and ready to compete. His recent Olympic win against Carlos Alcaraz has brought him closer to achieving another major goal.
Currently, Djokovic has 99 career titles. Winning in Shanghai would place him in an exclusive group of players with 100 or more titles. He aims to surpass Roger Federer’s record of 103 titles and possibly even catch up to Jimmy Connors, who has 109.
Djokovic is also on track to break another Federer record. He has 184 hard-court wins, just seven behind Federer’s all-time mark of 191. He is already considered the best on this surface with a winning percentage of 88.9% on hard courts. A victory in Shanghai would add to his impressive legacy and secure his 41st Masters title.
Fahad Hamid
(345 Articles Published)