Zheng Qinwen made history as the first Chinese athlete to secure an Olympic tennis singles gold medal, triumphing over Croatia’s Donna Vekic with a score of 6-2, 6-3 in a thrilling final on Saturday.
The 21-year-old sixth seed received enthusiastic cheers from a large Chinese crowd at Roland Garros’s Court Philippe Chatrier, and she delivered a poised performance in return.
Vekic, aiming to become Croatia’s first Olympic singles champion, fought valiantly to change the tide but couldn’t seize her chances. Zheng may not have been at her absolute peak, yet she elevated her game when it mattered most to claim the most significant title of her career.
While serving for the match at 5-3, Zheng reached match points as Vekic hit a backhand wide, sealing her victory with a perfectly positioned forehand winner and then collapsing onto her back in elation.
Previously, China’s only other gold medal in Olympic tennis was secured in 2004 when Li Ting and Sun Tian-Tian clinched the women’s doubles in Athens. The best singles result before this was Li Na’s semi-final appearance in 2008, where she missed out on a medal. With a runner-up finish at the Australian Open earlier this year, Zheng now seems poised to reach the same heights as Li Na, a two-time Grand Slam champion.
“I can’t find words to express my feelings right now,” Zheng shared with Eurosport on the court prior to the medal ceremony. “It feels unreal; I was hoping to win a medal for China, and I achieved it—I got the gold. I gave my all.” Her win capped off a remarkable week for China on the Parisian clay, following Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen’s silver medal in the mixed doubles the evening before.
Zheng, favored by men’s finalist Novak Djokovic as his top female player, commenced the week with a commanding 7-6, 6-0 victory against former French Open runner-up Sara Errani. She had to show resilience in tough three-set battles against Emma Navarro and Germany’s Angelique Kerber before shocking the favorite, Iga Swiatek, to secure her chance at gold.
Facing the seasoned Vekic in the final posed a significant challenge, but Zheng quickly established a 3-0 lead and maintained her composure throughout some tense moments. “I fought through every match, feeling a unique energy and tremendous support. My country will be proud, and I know my family is cheering for me back home,” she expressed.
after newsletter promotion
Poland’s Swiatek wrapped up the bronze medal after defeating Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-1 on Friday.
Earlier, Matt Ebden and John Peers secured Australia’s second-ever tennis gold medal at the Olympics, overcoming Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram from the United States with a score of 6-7 (6), 7-6 (1), 10-8 in a nail-biting men’s doubles final.
