Zheng Qinwen to Face Qualifier, Chinese Men Make History

China's Zheng Qinwen will begin her China Open campaign against a qualifier in the second round, following the tournament's women's singles draw on Monday. Meanwhile, Chinese men's singles players made history in domestic ATP tournaments, generating excitement around the National Day holidays.

At the 2024 ATP Hangzhou Open, Zhang Zhizhen defeated compatriot Bu Yunchaokete in a historic first-ever all-Chinese semifinal at an ATP Tour event. Zhang will face Marin Cilic in the finals. At the Chengdu Open, rising star Shang Juncheng booked a final spot against Yannick Hanfmann.

This historic moment highlights the rapid rise of Chinese men's tennis, with Zhang, Bu, and Shang all included in the ATP top 100. Competing on home courts likely provided extra motivation, according to sports commentator Liu Yu.

Zheng, now the fifth seed in the China Open, enjoyed a first-round bye and aims to improve upon her first-round exit in 2023. She is placed in the same half of the draw as Aryna Sabalenka, who edged her to win the Australian Open.

The 21-year-old aims to secure maximum points to qualify for the WTA Finals in November. The China Open awarded eight women's singles wildcards to Chinese players, reflecting the country's rapid rise in the global tennis scene.

Notably, a cross-Straits pair, Wang Xinyu and Hsieh Su-wei, will once again feature in the women's doubles. They received a wildcard entry into the main draw after winning the French Open and reaching the semifinals of the US Open in 2023.

Wang will also compete in the singles event at the China Open. She admitted that winning the Olympic mixed doubles silver medal helped more fans learn about her and brought them closer to the sport of tennis.

She will face a tough challenge from US player Amanda Anisimova in the first round of the China Open. "Every time I come to the China Open, I can feel the fans' passion," she told reporters on Monday.

Wang described her Olympic experience as "dreamlike" and hopes to improve her level and world ranking by competing in high-level tournaments.