When you think of the pinnacle of tennis in China, the first name to come to mind is likely Li Na, a former world No. 2 and the 2011 Roland Garros and 2014 Australian Open champion. She retired in the fall of 2014, and a new generation of Chinese players has followed in her wake. Now, they’re at the top of the game, and one player, No. 23 seed Zheng Qinwen, is playing in the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open.
Her inspiration needs no introduction.
After Zheng’s fourth-round win, she was asked who her tennis role model was, and if she could recall her first memory of Li.
“If you want to say the first memory, 'cause when she won the French Open champion, the real first time, the first Asian who won a Grand Slam, that give a lot to young kids, especially for me,” Zheng said.
“In that moment I start to think, ‘Oh, as an Asian, we [are] also able to won a Grand Slam at [the] big stage like that.’”
Zheng also said that before she picked up a racquet, her parents didn’t know what tennis was, as the sport wasn’t as popular in China. If she wins her quarterfinals match against No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, she will be the third Chinese woman to reach the semis in Queens in the last 10 years, joining Peng Shuai in 2014 and Li in 2013—the best result of any Chinese player in New York.
She said that her dream to be at at the top of the game was spurred by Li's success, and China's tennis success is owed to her, at least in part.
"Yeah, after Li Na, tennis became [a] more popular sport in China, thanks to her a lot,” Zheng said. “She also put a dream seed in my heart that I want to become like that.”
