BEIJING : China’s Zheng Qinwen captured her first WTA 1000 title on Sunday, defeating French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 7-5 6-4 to become the first Chinese player to win the China Open.
The wildcard, who missed much of last year and early 2026 because of an elbow injury to her dominant right arm, produced a commanding display, using powerful forehands and sharp angles to dictate rallies against the Russian.
“The feeling was incredible to win here in Beijing… it’s one of my dreams,” said 24-year-old Zheng, whose campaign at the tournament ended in disappointment last year when she was forced to retire after aggravating the injury.
After the pair exchanged early breaks, world number five Andreeva held serve to take a 5-4 lead in the opening set. The Russian then threatened to break Zheng, ranked 54th, after the Chinese player sent a cross-court shot long and netted a forehand.
Zheng fought back to save three break points and level at 5-5 before capitalising on a series of errors from Andreeva in the next game. A sharp backhand helped her secure the break and take the first set.
The second set remained closely contested, with Andreeva saving three break points at 4-4. Zheng eventually found the breakthrough before serving out the match with a clean ace to claim her first trophy of the year.
Both players are set to compete at the Wuhan Open, which begins on Monday. Zheng, a U.S. Open quarter-finalist, will be looking to build on her Beijing triumph as she targets a return to the world’s top 20.
