China's Zheng Qinwen celebrates after winning the women's singles semifinal at the WTA Finals Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 8, 2024. /CFP
"Unbelievable!" That's how Zheng Qinwen described her semifinal victory over Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets at the WTA Finals on Friday. The 22-year-old Chinese sensation has already established herself as a formidable player — ranked No. 5, she was the runner-up to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open in January and also claimed China's first ever Olympic tennis singles gold medal this summer.
However, this week feels particularly significant.
For the first time, Zheng has proven she can thrive under immense pressure against an elite field of opponents and secure a spot in the final of this prestigious year-end event. She advanced with her signature blend of power and precision, but what truly stood out was her newfound composure in the face of adversity.
In her dominant performance against Krejcikova, Zheng broke the Czech player's serve three times in the first set. She only dropped her serve once and fired off her seventh ace of the set to win it.
China's Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles semifinal at the WTA Finals Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 8, 2024. /CFP
Yet Krejcikova, the first player ranked outside the WTA Top 10 to win two matches at the WTA Finals since Elena Dementieva in 2000, refused to yield. The 28-year-old mounted a comeback, taking a 5-4 lead in the second set. However, despite her tenacity, Krejcikova struggled with her serve, and Zheng's power proved too much to handle. The Chinese star hit two aces and secured the last two consecutive games, finishing the match 6-3, 7-5 in thrilling fashion.
Zheng continues to blaze trails in tennis, becoming the first Chinese woman to reach the final of the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013. She also stands out as the first Chinese player to achieve 50 victories in a single season. Her accomplishments are further underscored by the fact that she is the 15th first-time competitor in WTA Finals history to reach the final, and the first since Anett Kontaveit in 2021.
Among those 15 players, seven have gone on to win the trophy, and Zheng now faces the challenge of overcoming rising American star Coco Gauff to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012 to clinch both the Olympic gold medal and the WTA Finals title in the same year.
Given her current hot form, it's hard to bet against her achieving yet another "unbelievable" victory.