Five things to know about Zheng Qinwen, the surprise Australian Open finalist

She benefited from a very favorable picture in Melbourne

Without calling into question his performances, it must be recognized that Zheng Qinwen benefited from particularly favorable circumstances to reach the first Grand Slam final of his career. In Melbourne, the 21-year-old Chinese crossed the table without facing a single player in the… top 50!

Placed in her part of the table, Cirstea, Pegula, Rybakina and Swiatek, her potential opponents from the third round, were all eliminated before challenging her. As a result, the highest ranked player she faced was Katie Boulter, 54th in the world, in the second round. Average ranking of his opponents: 81st. The march will rise very significantly in the final against the world number 2, Aryna Sabalenka.

In the footsteps of Li Na

Zheng Qinwen is the first Chinese player to reach the final of a Grand Slam since her illustrious elder, Li Na, ten years ago. In 2014, the former world number 2 won the Australian Open by dominating Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova (7-6, 6-0) in the final. It was his second Major title after Roland-Garros 2011.

A few days ago, Li Na, present in Melbourne, had a surprise at the 15th world, in the middle of an interview.

“It was a total surprise to me,” Zheng explained afterwards. She congratulated me. I was really happy to meet her and be able to chat with her. She is even more beautiful than on TV! (smile) His advice was simple: don’t think too much and go for it. She means a lot to all Chinese children. She is the first to have won Grand Slam titles. She gives a lot of hope to young people like me. »

She is a fan of Novak Djokovic

A month ago, in Perth, Novak Djokovic interrupted the press conference of the Chinese United Cup team by greeting the assembly, in Chinese please: “Thank you everyone! » Present next to world number 54 Zhizhen Zhang, Zheng Qinwen reacted very spontaneously as the Serb slipped away: “Idol! Please don’t go, I haven’t gotten your autograph yet. »

Since then, the Chinese woman has had the opportunity to chat with the world number 1. It was Tuesday, before the Serbian’s round of 16 match against Taylor Fritz. “He came to say hello to me, relaxed, as if he didn’t have a match right after,” she said. Me, before a match, I don’t want to talk to anyone. I really want to learn to be relaxed like the best, that’s what I miss. It was a very nice discussion with Novak. (…) I listen to him all the time talking about living in the present moment. This state of mind helps me play good tennis. »

The winning return of his trainer Pere Riba

Zheng Qinwen made no secret of having experienced the sudden end of his collaboration with Wim Fissette very badly. After the last US Open, the Belgian coach, with whom she had been working for only three months, announced his decision to find the Japanese Naomi Osaka.

“He broke the contract, which is very immoral,” the Chinese woman initially confided before adding, a few days later: “I cried about it. I understand that Osaka can give him a better deal and he has to provide for his family, but that doesn’t mean I will forgive him. »

In the process, the Chinese rehired her former coach, the Spaniard Pere Riba, who has known her since she was 17 and who had just stopped working with Coco Gauff after the American’s coronation at the US Open.

“I’ve never seen a player with such work ethic,” Riba said Friday. She is always ready to train and work very hard. When we first started together, I would meet him at 7 a.m. and we would train for long hours. I thought after 4-5 days she would tell me she’s tired. But no, she always wants to do more. It’s even up to me to stop it! »

The Zheng Qinwen clan with, on the far right, their trainer Pere Riba (I. Kato/Reuters)

His service, a double-edged sword

Zheng Qinwen is, by far, the leader in the number of aces hit during this Australian Open in the women’s draw with a total of 48, almost double that of her runner-up, Alycia Parks (25) and double that of her opponent. Saturday in the final, Sabalenka (24). The Chinese is also the one who wins the most points behind her first ball with 79% success (she is ahead of Osaka and Caroline Garcia). But she is also the one who commits the most double faults (35, ahead of Marta Kostyuk and Gauff). And his percentage of first balls (53%) is very average.

His serving gesture, with a slight stop before throwing the ball, is not the most academic. “When I worked with her until we stopped last June, she didn’t do that,” Riba explains. I discovered this new movement in the offseason in December. We worked on that. Qinwen serves very well. She can change her gesture, throw the ball differently, she will always serve well. That shows how talented she is. »