Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen battled past Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 on Thursday to reach the US Open third round, completing an emotional return to form after months of recovery following elbow surgery. According to reporting from major tournament coverage, the 23-year-old player sank to the court in celebration before delivering a fierce on-court reaction that signaled her competitive fire was finally back.
An Emotional Breakthrough at Flushing Meadows
After an injury-plagued 2025 season that forced her to miss the Australian Open and undergo elbow surgery, her world ranking slipped, requiring her to fight through the qualifying tournament just to make the main draw.
Speaking to reporters after her three-set victory, Zheng described the sheer weight of her struggles over the past year. “Before the surgery, for me winning is like drinking water—everything comes natural, everything comes fluent,” Zheng said, reflecting on her loss of competitive rhythm. “After my surgery, I had some tough matches against the best players in the world… I totally lost the dynamic of how to compete.”
The emotional release at the end of the match was compounded by physical exhaustion. Zheng revealed that she had also been battling illness during the second round, leaving her feeling unusually weak and overwhelmed when she finally clinched the win. “That’s why when I won I laid down on the court and cried,” Zheng said. “You know when you get sick, you are weak. This weakness made me feel like, ‘Oh, I finally got it,’ and I couldn’t control my emotions.”
Redefining Her Competitive Edge and Embracing the Grind
Grinding through the qualifying rounds proved to be a humbling experience for a player who reached a ranking of world No. 4 and claimed gold at the 2024 Olympic Games. She admitted it took time to accept playing in the qualifiers after dropping down the rankings.
Yet, that suffering forged a renewed sense of purpose. Spending months living a life without the intense pressure and adrenaline of tour-level competition had dulled her instincts, but New York brought back her familiar intensity. “I still remembered how to play tennis,” she noted of her recovery, but rediscovering how to scream her trademark “come ons!” and lock in for hours required shedding her ego and embracing the outside courts.
Up Next: A Showdown Against Madison Keys
With her place in the third round secured, Zheng advances to face former Australian Open champion Madison Keys. The matchup offers the Olympic champion a welcome return to the spotlight.
Having spent the opening rounds toiling on outside courts, Zheng looks forward to stepping back onto one of the major tournament arenas. “I used to always play on the big court,” she said. “I need to fight to get everything back.”
The third-round clash against Keys is scheduled as part of the ongoing US Open schedule at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Fans can follow official live scoring and updates through the official US Open website.
Keep reading
