Qinwen Zheng is on fire this season! Her incredible grit and talent have propelled her to the championship match of the WTA Finals, where she’s about to face none other than Coco Gauff in a battle for ultimate glory. With fans and experts already singing her praises, the latest to jump in is her coach, Pere Riba. Riba not only applauds her stunning season but also hints at the big dreams he has for the star player. 

Riba highlighted how Zheng has continued to rise up the ranks. Despite acknowledging the dominance of players like Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek throughout the season, he expressed confidence in the potential of the Chinese star and claimed that she is yet to touch her peak, per The National. He also highlighted the skills she possesses and the tough battle she has given to her opponents this year.

Speaking in the interview, the coach of the Chinese player said, “I don’t like to talk too much about the other players. But of course, if you analyse, we can see that this year, Aryna and Iga, they are fighting there, it’s like a little bit more up from the other ones.” Indeed, out of the 4 Grand Slams this year, 3 are shared between Swiatek and Sabalenka with the Belarusian winning two of them. Besides, while Swiatek has won 6 titles overall, Sabalenka has proved her mettle in 4 tournaments. Riba also highlighted that there are some other players as well who can soon enter the fray if they keep working hard. However, he claimed that the top players may get a tough contest from Zheng in the long run.

“I have a lot of confidence in Qinwen, because she has the tools, she has the weapons, every month is better. I don’t see that she’s at the top of her potential. To be honest, I think she is at 60 percent of what she can be. And this gives me a lot of confidence that she’s going to be one day there, I really believe that.” The Chinese star has continued to show remarkable gameplay. She has won 3 titles in total including the prestigious gold medal in the Olympics. And now, she will battle Gauff for the ultimate glory of the season. Hence, her coach’s appreciation is well justified. 

Remember, Zheng and Riba joined forces in 2021 and the coach played a crucial role in Zheng’s gradual and steady rise. However, they parted ways in 2023 after the French Open, following which the Spanish coach joined Coco Gauff. But soon after winning the US Open title, Gauff decided to part ways with Riba, thereby giving an opportunity to Zheng to partner with her former coach yet again. The duo have demonstrated great camaraderie since then and their partnership has received immense praise from the tennis community, including from former pro Pam Shriver.

“A great coaching match” – When Pam Shriver lauded Qinwen Zheng’s decision to reunite with Pere Riba 

Pere Riba and Qinwen Zheng have depicted high regard for each other time and again. They have not just attained huge success, but have also highlighted that their partnership can outshine some iconic forces on the courts. It is probably for this reason that Zheng and Riba are lauded by many in the tennis community including the likes of former pro Pam Shriver.

Speaking in an interview with the Tennis Channel Inside In podcast, Shriver said, “It’s very few players that have that first major breakthrough. And then just…it’s usually a progression. Pere Riba was a great coaching match that she was reunited with. I think he’s turning into quite the coach.” Zheng too, has highlighted the motivation she gets from her coach’s passion.

“The great passion he feels for tennis is important; he gets very involved, and it’s difficult to find coaches who have so much love for this sport; most see it as just a job,” the Chinese star said about her coach. For now, it would be interesting to see how her final match at the WTA Finals unfolds. Can Qinwen Zheng return with a title? Well, only time will tell.