Resurgent Qinwen Zheng Admits She Gave Herself Brutal Reality Check After Reaching US Open Quarterfinals: “I Don’t Treat Myself High”

Qinwen Zheng has pulled off a tough feat twice in a row, the results of which were exits of two Grand Slam champions. Her first victim was 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

In the third round, Keys easily clinched the first set before Zheng eked out a win through the tie-breaker in the second set. The Chinese ace then lost five games in a row in the decider. It should have been an easy win for the American ace, but Zheng forced a comeback and clinched a 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 win.

Next was Iga Swiatek. The Pole took a comfortable 5-0 lead in the first set, only for Zheng to repeat what she did against Keys, before eventually knocking out the six-time Grand Slam champion with a 7-5, 6-3 scoreline.

At the press conference then, Zheng was asked if she had learned anything new about herself due to her run to the quarterfinals after playing the qualifying rounds. She admitted that psychologically it’s difficult for her to accept that someone like her, who used to be a top-10 player and is an Olympic gold medalist and also played on the biggest stages, was struggling so badly because of injury woes.

But instead of brooding over the situation, she kept telling herself to keep working, believing the results would eventually come.

I learned a lot about myself, about tennis, about life, about everything. For me, learning a match is not just about tennis. It’s more about something with yourself.

Zheng is the first woman to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open since Emma Raducanu in 2021 (she won the title). Next in the quarterfinals, she will be meeting another Grand Slam champion: Elena Rybakina.

Also, when you’re winning a match, exactly what you did right to win this match… I’d say right now the most important challenge for me is to keep humble, be there, and fight. Like, okay, I came through qualies this time. I say to myself, the reality is you’re just No. 125 in the world. You’re not the top 10 you were before. Don’t treat yourself so high. You’re here as everyone else. You start from the ground. So stay there, keep fighting.

Qinwen Zheng added

Zheng will lock horns with Rybakina for the sixth time in her career. The Kazakh ace holds a 4-1 head-to-head lead, also beating her at the Qatar Open and the Madrid Open this year. Rybakina beat Naomi Osaka in the fourth round.

Iga Swiatek on what went wrong during her match against Qinwen Zheng

It was Qinwen Zheng’s second win over Iga Swiatek in her career. She now trails 2-7 in the head-to-head matchups. She registered these two wins on the biggest stages: in the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics and at this US Open. At the press conference after the upset, Swiatek reflected on what went wrong during the match.

I was just mishitting the balls. So, didn’t feel like I had space to feel it better. I don’t know. I framed a lot. I didn’t hit the ball in the right place. It’s not so easy to adjust the basic things in the game if they’re not working. Just try to focus on having smooth rhythm and everything, but also, I didn’t have a good timing. I wasn’t hitting the ball right. So, it’s tough to get over that when it happens.

Iga Swiatek said at the press conference

Swiatek, for the first time since 2021, failed to win a Major in a calendar year. Last year, she ended her title drought at Wimbledon, which she failed to defend this year.

This year, did not reach a final before the Canadian Open, where she beat Elena Rybakina. She is a former champion at Flushing Meadows, winning in 2022 by beating Ons Jabeur.

Also read: Jessica Pegula Claps Back at “Future” Claims After Reaching 2026 US Open Quarterfinals