Rod Laver Arena once again witnessed a Chinese player reaching the Australian Open women's singles final. On January 25, Zheng Qinwen, 21, became the second Chinese woman tennis player to advance to a Grand Slam singles final. The last time a Chinese player stood on the Australian Open women's singles final stage was exactly a decade earlier. On January 25, 2014, Li Na, then 31, made history as the first Asian player to win the Australian Open singles competition. "Only winning the Grand Slam final meets my expectations. Without it, I will only think about the improvement that I have to make," says Zheng.

Ten years ago, when Li won the Australian Open, Zheng watched the match on television. 

"Li is my idol. I will never forget her match at the Australian Open. It was her who planted the seeds of dreams in my heart," says Zheng. She says she has watched Li's match at least 10 times. 

The magical timeline added a touch of legend to the decade-spanning "inheritance," as the two athletes, from Central China's Hubei Province, completed the symbolic "passing of the torch" during this year's Australian Open. 

Zheng has been immersed in professional and international training since she was a young girl. She aligned her training system with international standards, and she set clear goals, which laid the foundation for her early success. 

From a young age, Zheng has been known for her aggression on the court. Xie Chun, head coach of Wuhan's tennis team, notes Zheng has had a strong attacking inclination since she was 8 or 9 years old. During her training at a tennis school in the United States, Zheng earned the nickname "Fire." 

Zheng eventually joined a tennis school in Beijing, where she was coached by Carlos Rodriguez for four years. Rodriguez had previously coached Li, and he helped Li win the 2014 Australian Open. 

Between August 2020 and February 2022, Zheng participated in nearly 30 tournaments. She had very little time for rest during that period. 

Within two years of transitioning to WTA (World Tennis Association) events, Zheng has secured tour championships, reached Grand Slam finals, and become the second player from the Chinese mainland to enter the world's top-10 tennis rankings. Remarkably, she has achieved all of this by the young age of 21. 

Zheng Jianping, Zheng's father, says his daughter's most significant traits are "independence, confidence and self-discipline." 

Says Zheng Jianping: "We have never set goals for Zheng Qinwen. We hope she works hard for the goals she sets for herself, rather than being driven by parental pressure." 

During last year's Australian Open, Zheng Qinwen stated her bid to break into the top 10, only to subsequently suffer an early exit in the second round. 

"At that time, I was just being confident about myself with a great sum of expectations that I was unable to handle properly," says Zheng Qinwen. "After a year-long effort, while experiencing all the ebbs and flows, I've developed a more settled mindset." 

Although Zheng Qinwen had her Grand Slam dreams crushed in her first try, she proved herself to be competent, and she made continuous improvement. 

She can take consolation that she cracked the top 10 in world rankings for the first time. 

"I think I can learn more with the loss in the final of the Australian Open. I just hope, next time, I can come back as a better tennis player, and come back stronger," Zheng Qinwen says. 

Photos from VCG

Sources: Xinhua and People's Daily Overseas Edition

(Women of China English Monthly February 2024)