On October 27, at the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo, top seed and Chinese player Zheng Qinwen claimed her first Tokyo singles title by defeating former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin from the United States with a score of 2-0.
This match marked the first professional encounter between the two players. In the first set, both players held serve, with Zheng missing multiple break point opportunities. However, she managed to seize critical moments during a tense tiebreak, ultimately winning the first set 7-6 (5).
The second set saw Zheng in outstanding form as she started strongly, maintaining consecutive holds and breaks, and won the set 6-3 to secure the championship. Throughout the match, Zheng showcased impressive serving skills, delivering 16 aces and boasting a first serve winning percentage of 93%.
Zheng, who was runner-up at the Tokyo tournament in 2022 at just 19 years old against Russian player Varvara Gracheva, felt this victory not only avenged her previous defeat but also marked her third title of the season. This win represents her second WTA 500 title and the fifth of her career.
This season has highlighted Zheng’s significant progress, as she began the year with her first Grand Slam final appearance in Australia, followed by victories at the WTA 250 in Palermo and the Olympic Games in the latter half of the year. Additionally, she reached the semifinals of the China Open and the finals of the Wuhan Open during the hectic “China season.”
After the match, Zheng reflected on her Tokyo victory, saying, “Winning in Tokyo wasn’t easy. The ‘China season’ has been long, and despite the challenges and exhaustion, I’ve managed to keep a stable mindset, which is a significant improvement for me.”
Following her triumph in Tokyo, Zheng will head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the WTA Year-End Finals from November 2 to 9. She is only the second Chinese player to qualify for this prestigious event, following Li Na.
Zheng shared her excitement about the upcoming competition in Riyadh, noting, “It will be a different experience there. The tennis balls and courts are unique, and I’ll be facing the top players of the year. It won’t be like regular matches where you have a couple of warm-up rounds; you need to be very focused from the very first match.” She added, “I want to achieve good results in Riyadh but don’t want to put too much pressure on myself since this is my first WTA Year-End Finals. I feel motivated and really look forward to it.”
