Zheng Qinwen Turns 0-5 Into a US Open Win
Tuesday, 2026/09/08216 words3 minutes502 reads
Zheng Qinwen's US Open run produced two rare comebacks in three days. On September 7, she recovered from 0-5 down in the opening set to beat Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 and reach the quarterfinals. Swiatek built her lead in 23 minutes, but Zheng won seven straight games.
Two days earlier against Madison Keys, Zheng lost the first set 6-1, fell 0-5 behind in the deciding set and faced match point. She saved it, won the final seven games and completed a 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 victory. She became the first female qualifier to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Emma Raducanu's 2021 title run.
That turnaround followed a difficult year. Zheng missed the 2025 US Open because of a right elbow injury and arrived in New York ranked No. 121, so she had to qualify for the main draw. Before defeating Swiatek, she had won only once in eight previous meetings, at the 2024 Paris Olympics on her way to gold.
Zheng said she tried to stay positive and keep working when results were not coming. Against Swiatek, she focused point by point and, at one moment, forgot the score. Next she plays No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina, who leads their head-to-head 4-1. Zheng has shown that a 0-5 score can describe a moment, not the ending.
