Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen is in Australia to prepare for this year's first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, which will get underway at the Melbourne Park on January 12.

Zheng enjoyed a great season in 2024, achieving a series of successes including winning the women's singles gold medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and finishing as the runner-up at the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals.

Her incredible 2024 started at the Australian Open, where she advanced to the final. Although she lost to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, Zheng's performance had a significant impact on her career.

"It began to change my way of thinking," Zheng said. "I started to play with better aggression while staying calm and focused. I nearly won a Grand Slam title, but I have a bigger dream than that. It's just a start and I still have a lot of room for improvement."

Zheng will be seeded No. 5 when this year's Australian Open begins, after skipping the United Cup mixed team event in order to prepare for the season's first Grand Slam.