Zheng Qinwen was down 5-0 and facing match point in the final set against Madison Keys. It looked over. Instead, the Olympic champion won seven straight games to take the match 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 and reach the fourth round as a qualifier. Keys, seeded 22nd and a former Australian Open winner, had controlled the match early and looked headed for a routine win before Zheng turned it around.
This comeback meant more than the score. Zheng has spent the past year dealing with injury and uncertainty. She had elbow surgery in July 2025 to remove bone fragments, then missed nearly half the season with pain and a slow recovery. The Australian Open reported that she missed the rest of 2025 and the 2026 Australian Open. Her ranking fell outside the top 100, dropping as low as 121, and she lost direct entry into Grand Slam basic draws. In New York, she had to play qualifying rounds for the first time in four years.
Zheng had to win five consecutive matches at the US Open, including qualifying, before facing Keys in the third round. It was her longest winning streak since returning from injury.
Australian Open
The road back has been rough. Zheng said she felt lost after her early exit at Roland Garros, her first major since surgery. “After coming back from injury I felt I lost the energy and I forgot how to compete,” she said. She broke down in tears after qualifying for the basic draw, calling it a harsh reset for someone who had recently been ranked as high as world number four. After beating Yulia Putintseva, Zheng said she had finally "found herself" again at the tournament. She described her New York run as part of a longer recovery, extending beyond a single good week, as reported by Xinhua and Yahoo.
Against Keys, Zheng had to stay focused under pressure. At 5-4 in the final set, a crying baby in the stands interrupted her serve. Zheng paused to regroup, then won four straight points to tie the match. She blocked out the noise and nerves, finished the comeback and collapsed on the court in disbelief. Xinhua reported that her win over Putintseva had already taken her into the third round of a major for the first time since Roland Garros 2025. The result showed how far she had come in New York.
Her run has been defined by ability to recover. Four of her six matches have gone the distance, and she is the first qualifier to reach the women’s fourth round at the US Open since Emma Raducanu in 2021. Zheng’s path has differed from that of other top players, such as Carlos Alcaraz. His progress at the tournament was reported earlier.
Before facing Keys, Zheng had beaten Xiaodi You and Clara Burel in qualifying, then advanced past Elena Pridankina. In the basic draw, she defeated Kristina Liutova and Yulia Putintseva, building momentum throughout the tournament. Her breakthrough in New York, she told Yahoo, was regaining her competitive fire after months of feeling disconnected from the sport.
Yahoo/Xinhua
Zheng did not qualify for a protected ranking because she played her home event in Beijing last October, cutting short her recovery. That decision sent her into qualifying, a process she struggled with but eventually overcame. After the win, she said, “Finally, a bit of luck is on my side,” expressing relief and exhaustion after a long year.
The comeback showed the mental strength required at the top of tennis. After a year of setbacks, Zheng saved match point and refused to let injury or rankings define her.
