Qinwen Zheng defeated Alina Charaeva, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open.
The home favourite won her fourth three-set match of the tournament to seal her spot in the final eight. There, she will play Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, a five-time WTA 1000 champion.
After winning her fourth-round match, Zheng was asked if she believes she is building a new version of herself or if she’s still the same player she was before injuries stunted her progress.
Qinwen Zheng says her parents sometimes tell her she used to be better than she is now
“I would say I’m trying to be better than the old version of myself. I’m trying to upgrade, to discover a new version. Like I always said, okay, I did really good stuff when I was 21 years old, but that wasn’t my highest performance. I felt like inside me there’s still so much more that I could do,” said Zheng.
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“I’m trying to find out – tomorrow is my 24th birthday – if I can do it much better as age passes, when I become more mature. Also, mentally, I’m more stable than I used to be before. I used to be very emotional at a young age.
“I would say every year I’m upgrading myself. I’m also discovering myself. It’s just year by year getting better and better. I think that’s called development.
“I don’t like to really compare with my past because when I’m not doing good, even my parents sometimes say, like, ‘Before you were better.’ I don’t agree. Your body is changing every year. You need to adapt to your conditions every year.”
Zheng was once ranked fourth in the world, won an Olympic gold medal, and reached the Australian Open final. However, injuries throughout 2025 and 2026 have kept the Chinese star from fulfilling her potential.
The 24-year-old needed to qualify for the US Open recently, but reached the quarter-finals, catapulting her back up the rankings. Reaching another quarter-final in Beijing, Zheng now sits 42nd, two places and 40 points off the top-40.
Live WTA Rankings
| Rank | Player | Country | Points |
| 38 | Wang Xinyu | China | 1,288 |
| 39 | Kimberly Birrell | Australia | 1,280 |
| 40 | Talia Gibson | Australia | 1,273 |
| 41 | Daria Snigur | Ukraine | 1,254 |
| 42 | Qinwen Zheng | China | 1,233 |
| 43 | Liudmila Samsonova | Russia | 1,229 |
| 44 | Yuliia Starodubtseva | Ukraine | 1,165 |
| 45 | Hailey Baptiste | USA | 1,155 |
| 46 | Barbora Krejcikova | Czechia | 1,133 |
| 47 | Janice Tjen | Indonesia | 1,125 |
She could be ranked as high as 23rd if she wins the title in Beijing. Zheng hasn’t made life easy for herself, though, winning all four matches she’s played in a deciding set.
Qinwen Zheng at the 2026 China Open
- 1R [WIN] vs Shi Han, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
- 2R [WIN] vs Anna Kalinskaya, 6-7, 6-4, 3-0 (RET)
- 3R [WIN] vs Marie Bouzkova, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5
- 4R [WIN] vs Alina Charaeva, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
She’ll return for the quarter-finals on Friday, October 9, looking to reach the semis for the second time in her career, having already done so in 2024.
2026 China Open quarter-final lineup
- Qinwen Zheng vs Elina Svitolina
- Elise Mertens vs Iga Swiatek
- Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Mirra Andreeva
- Karolina Muchova vs Nikola Bartunkova
Zheng will play Svitolina in the China Open quarter-finals. The winner will meet Elise Mertens or Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals. In the other half of the draw, Nikola Bartunkova has already beaten her countrywoman Karolina Muchova to book her place in the final four.
Only time will tell who will emerge victorious in Beijing. The 2026 China Open women’s singles final will take place on Sunday, October 11.
