Zheng Qinwen on expectations for Wuhan Open, life after Olympic gold

Chinese tennis ace Zheng Qinwen, who won the women's singles gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris in August, booked her place in the last 16 of the Wuhan Open following a straight sets victory over wild card Jaqueline Cristian in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Wednesday.

Having celebrated her 22nd birthday on Tuesday, Zheng spoke to CGTN Sports Scene about her expectations for the Wuhan Open, as well as how she handles the growing attention from the media and fans after her gold medal win.

"My expectation in the Wuhan Open will just be to give my best in every single match," Zheng told Sports Scene's Shen Xiang. "Of course, I would like progress as far as I can, so people could watch me more on the tennis court. But you know, no pressure, because I just want to keep myself playing with a calm mood. And then at the same time to know what I'm capable to do, but just focus on every day."

Zheng revealed that she does not spend too much time on social media to avoid distraction. "I'm trying to use less social media and to keep myself in the real world instead of on the internet," she said.

Zheng admitted that she enjoyed the attention after winning the Olympic gold, but she pointed out the pressure and responsibility that came along with the attention. "It's tough to control winning or losing. You can only do what you can in that day," she said in the interview.

As one of the best Chinese tennis players today, Zheng has a message for the next generation.

"When you enjoy the sport, you will give more energy, you will have more passion, which means you are going to put more power into the tennis training, on your diet, on your fitness training. I mean, it's not easy to do that 365 days a year. It's easy to do for a week, maybe. But if you want to reach a high level, you need to remain disciplined," Zheng noted.