‘That Bothers Me’ – Dissatisfied Chinese Tennis Icon Sheds Light on Her Biggest Career Ordeal in a Candid Confession

What keeps a rising tennis sensation awake at night? At the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai 2023, Qinwen Zheng, China’s tennis prodigy, provided a candid insight into her burning ambition. While most athletes revel in the journey, Zheng’s impatience for Grand Slam victory and more titles paints a vivid picture of her fierce aspirations. But is such an intense focus on accolades the key to her success or an added burden? Dive in to understand the restless heart of a champion-in-the-making.

Qinwen Zheng is creating ripples in the global tennis circuit. From being the first Chinese teenager to step into a WTA Tour final to her recent showstopper at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. Zheng’s meteoric rise is capturing attention. But how did this world No.18 carve her path, and what milestones mark her journey? 

Qinwen Zheng: unyielding ambition and the Grand Slam dream in tennis

Chinese tennis sensation, Qinwen Zheng, has always been candid about her aspirations. Her recent remarks at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai 2023 reaffirm this attribute. Making her way to the semifinals, Zheng was posed with a reflective question about her primary concerns and anxieties. Her response was both audacious and revealing.

Zheng said, “The thing that bothers me the most in my life right now,” she began, “is why I still haven’t become a Grand Slam champion, and why I haven’t won more titles.” Such unflinching ambition has been a hallmark of Zheng’s tennis journey. In an era where many athletes might focus on process, or the journey over the destination. Zheng’s clear-eyed focus on Grand Slam glory and title wins sets her apart.

Zheng’s statement at the WTA Elite trophy not only underscores her insatiable hunger for accolades but also illustrates the weight of expectation she places upon herself. Qinwen Zheng isn’t in the game merely to participate; she aims to etch her name among the tennis greats and will be restless until she achieves it.

Qinwen Zheng reached an all-Chinese semi-final at the WTA Elite Trophy, securing her seventh consecutive win. She has made significant strides in 2021 to 2023. However, is her career trajectory enough to justify her powerful ambitions? 

READ MORE: ‘I Wish I Can Be a Man on Court’–19-Year-Old Chinese Tennis Player Opens Up About Menstrual Cramps After Her Loss to Iga Swiatek at French Open 2022

Beyond the baseline: Zheng Qinwen’s stellar rise in tennis

Qinwen Zheng, China’s top tennis star and the world’s rising No.18, delighted home fans by advancing to an all-Chinese semi-final at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. She secured her spot by defeating the No.3 seed and 2017 French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko. This marks her seventh consecutive win, a streak that includes her triumph at the Zhengzhou Open. Zheng is now set for a face-off with wild-card entry Zhu Lin in the semi-finals.

In 2021, Qinwen Zheng made notable strides, clinching titles at Tennis Future Hamburg and the Macha Lake Open. She made history at the Pan Pacific Open in Japan as the first Chinese teenager to reach a WTA Tour final. Subsequently rising to world No. 28. By 2023, her rank soared to a career-best No. 18. With two WTA, one WTA Challenger, and eight ITF singles titles under her belt, Zheng was aptly named the 2022 WTA Newcomer of the Year.

Qinwen Zheng’s meteoric rise in tennis, punctuated by her candid ambition for Grand Slam glory, has set the tennis world abuzz. With accolades under her belt and an unyielding spirit, the question remains: When will Zheng clinch that coveted Grand Slam?

WATCH THIS STORY: The Journey of Roger Federer to the Elite Billionaire’s Club