Zheng Qinwen of China beat Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-2, 6-3 in the women's singles tennis final at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on Saturday, becoming the first Chinese and first Asian player to stand on top of the podium in an Olympic singles tennis event.

After emerging as China's top tennis star over the past three years, Zheng had already made a name for herself in Women's Tennis Association (WTA) competitions. When asked about the differences between Olympic, Asian Games and WTA matches, Zheng said she always feels supported when playing for the Chinese national team.

Zheng defeated World No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semifinals at Paris 2024. That was her first victory over Swiatek after six straight losses and she called the win her best match.

Zheng's compatriots Zhang Zhizhen and Wang Xinyu also made history for China after securing silver in the mixed doubles competition. Zheng said she believes their success will be a great boost to the development of tennis in China.