Watch Out for Zheng Qinwen

In an era of the WTA where new stars are rising quickly, things become unpredictable. It becomes difficult to differentiate the young players who are here to stay from the young players who win and then fizzle into relative obscurity. In my opinion, 19-year-old Zheng Qinwen is here to stay. 

Zheng has had a relatively good season in 2022, reaching the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, upsetting Simona Halep at Roland Garros, and most notably being the only player to take a set off of Iga Swiatek during her run at the same tournament. Zheng says her favorite courts are hard, but she has a comfort on clay; she trains in Spain.

Her game is magnificent to watch. She is dangerous off of both the forehand and backhand wings, and her serve is powerful with normally intelligent placement. Zheng plays aggressively, but not without thought. If not for some difficult draws this season, she may have picked up a big title or two.

Zheng watches tape of the big three for inspiration and to take notes; shades of Federer’s game are somewhat reflected with her use of frequent, strong inside-out forehands. She is quick and balanced with her movement through the court, and she is able to convert defense to offense with relative ease. 

Zheng Qinwen is a major talent and I expect her to make a relatively big impact in the US Open. She is on the rise and has only been losing (on hard and clay) to already well-established and talented players. Zheng is dangerous, and the tennis world is finding out. The US Open will be the perfect time for her to prove herself.