China’s Zheng Qinwen clinched her maiden WTA 1000 title after defeating Russia’s Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the women’s singles final of the 2026 China Open in Beijing on Sunday, October 11. The victory marked a significant milestone in Zheng’s career as she became the first Chinese player to win the singles title at the tournament.
Playing in front of her home crowd, the former world No.4 celebrated the victory emotionally, breaking down in tears after sealing the title. The win also marked her first trophy since October 2024, when she defeated Sofia Kenin in Tokyo.
“The feeling is incredible. Winning here in Beijing, in front of my home crowd, has always been one of my dreams,” Zheng said after the match.
Zheng Qinwen overcomes Mirra Andreeva in two sets
The final saw Zheng battle back after Andreeva made an early breakthrough. The Russian, who was seeded fourth for the tournament, put pressure on the Chinese player from the baseline, but Zheng managed to recover and stay in contention.
Zheng saved three set points to level the opening set at 5-5 before winning the next two games to take it 7-5. She carried that momentum into the second set, with both players holding serve through the early stages.
The decisive moment came in the ninth game, when Zheng broke Andreeva’s serve with a well-placed shot down the line to take a 5-4 lead. Despite a double fault in the following game, she recovered with an ace to seal the match on her first match point, winning 6-4.
Reflecting on the contest, Zheng acknowledged the challenge posed by her opponent. “Today’s match was extremely tough. Mirra is a great player, and she broke my serve right at the start,” she said.
“I just had to take it one point at a time and keep telling myself to hang in there and never give up. After playing so many matches, I was physically and mentally exhausted. But playing in front of my home crowd gave me that extra strength to keep pushing through.”
Zheng Qinwen makes comeback after injury struggles
The China Open triumph comes after a challenging period for Zheng, whose career was disrupted by a persistent right elbow injury following her Olympic gold medal win at the Paris 2024 Games. She underwent surgery in July 2025, with her ranking subsequently dropping from a career-high No. 4 in 2024 to No. 160 in mid-June 2026.
Her victory in Beijing marks a major achievement in her return to the top level of women’s tennis. The title earned Zheng 1,000 ranking points and $1,151,380 in prize money, lifting her to No. 23 in the live WTA rankings.
The 24-year-old also thanked her team and the fans for their support throughout a difficult year. “I want to thank my team for supporting me throughout this journey. I’ve been through a very tough year, and I couldn’t have done this without you,” Zheng said.
She also congratulated Andreeva on her achievements at the French Open earlier this year and praised the young Russian’s talent.
Mirra Andreeva falls short in first China Open final
Andreeva, who reached her first China Open final, was unable to convert her strong start into a title-winning performance. Despite the defeat, the Russian teenager had an impressive run in Beijing and is set to rise to a career-high world No. 3 in the rankings. “I love playing in Beijing, so of course I had a very, very nice time,” Andreeva said after the match.
The final was the second meeting between the two players, with Zheng having also defeated Andreeva in the quarter-finals of the 2024 China Open.
For Zheng, the victory was particularly special as she became the first Chinese player to lift the women’s singles trophy at the Beijing tournament, which was established in 2004. Her maiden WTA 1000 crown also ended a title drought dating back to October 2024, giving her a memorable triumph on home soil.
