Staying alive and doing it the "Queen Wen" way — China's top ace Zheng Qinwen's career-first victory at the WTA Finals has cemented her reputation as the most resilient fighter on the women's circuit this year.
As a last-minute qualifier to the 2024 WTA Finals, reigning Olympic champion Zheng has again put the steely will that drove her to top of the Paris podium on full display, after the world No 7 pulled off a 7-6 (4),3-6, 6-1 win over group opponent Elena Rybakina in her second match in Riyadh on Monday, keeping her in contention for the title at the coveted season-ending championship.
It's the first time the 22-year-old Zheng has qualified for the Finals, where the top-8 singles stars and doubles teams compete in round-robin groups, before progressing to the semifinals to fight for a share of a whopping $15.25 million purse being offered by debutant host Saudi Arabia.
Zheng's win over Rybakina, her first in three encounters against the 2022 Wimbledon champion, also marked her Tour-leading 20th three-set win in her 24 matches that went to a decider, also a record, this season, consolidating the power hitter's status as one of the mentally toughest opponents in the women's game.
Of course, she'd love to have quicker wins, but Zheng took particular pride in the huge progress of her mental game, which has contributed significantly to her fruitful 2024 campaign.
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