Zheng Qinwen begins preparation for tennis "China Season"

World No. 7 women's singles tennis player Zheng Qinwen of China had her first training session in Beijing on Wednesday to begin preparation for a series of tournaments in China.

Zheng skipped the Guadalajara Open after competing at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris and the U.S. Open in New York. It took her two days to overcome jet lag since she came back home from the U.S..

"I'm actually in a good form both physically and mentally," Zheng told China Media Group (CMG). "I finally have two weeks for exercise."

Zheng made the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, matching her best record at the hard-court Grand Slam tournament before losing to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

"I didn't have a complete training period or enough time for exercise before the U.S. Open," Zheng said. "But I did the best I could do at the tournament. I believe I would have performed better if I were stronger because I heard people talk about how thin I am in the upper body. It's true. I hadn't had any intense training session since the Olympic Games."

Winning the women's singles gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games not only drew more attention to Zheng, but also placed more pressure on her. However, she's ready to translate the pressure into motivation for her to play better.

"I consider the pressure as my motivation because you always have a new mountain to conquer in tennis," Zheng told CMG. "I still have many titles to win. I expect to challenge and surpass myself step by step. I won't dwell on my past honors."

Zheng has planned to spend two weeks preparing for the China Open that will begin in Beijing on September 17. She wants to reach her best form on every front before the competition begins.