During her breakout run to the US Open quarterfinals, Zheng Qinwen said she loved the nickname "Queen Wen," bestowed upon her by a quickly expanding fan base.
While her New York run was ended by current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng was crowned champion on Sunday at the WTA 500 in Zhengzhou, China. Her home-nation triumph earned her the biggest of her two WTA titles, both earned in the second half of the 2023 season. Zheng also won the gold medal at the Asian Games 2023 in late September, beating countrywoman Zhu Lin in the final.
Fast becoming tennis royalty in China, "Queen Wen" broke into the WTA's Top 20 for the first time with the title—one week after turning 21.
"When I was on the court finishing the last point, I was feeling super happy," Zheng said after coming from behind to beat Barbora Krejcikova, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the final. "All the crowd yelling for me, they supported me in full. In that moment, the feeling was unexplainable."
Zheng was so happy that she even performed some karaoke for her home fans during the trophy ceremony.
"I probably will go to karaoke with my team. I really want to sing, and it's not enough on the court, I'm not done yet," she told WTATennis.com after the match. "I forgot some lyrics, but I was having fun and enjoying myself out there. I want to thank the tournament for preparing this surprise. I really love it."
The fan favorite, who appeared on the cover of GQ China in February, is the highest-ranked of three Chinese women in the WTA's Top 35, ahead of Wang Xinyu and Zhu. Currently ranked No. 18, Zheng is the youngest player in the Top 30 other than reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff.
Zheng was named the WTA's Newcomer of the Year for 2022 but fell short of her own expectations in the first half of this season. Her turnaround began with the help of new coach Wim Fissette, who guided her to her first WTA title this July in Palermo and throughout her US Open run.
A sudden split with Fissette upset Zheng ahead of the Asian swing, but the musically-inclined star's results have not skipped a beat. She will hope to stay in rhythm when she finishes her season at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai next week.
