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On January 27, the highly anticipated Australian Open women’s singles final came to an end, with Zheng Qinwen losing to Sabalenka and finishing as the runner-up. Although she failed to beat the defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen’s outstanding performance at the Australian Open has shown her huge potential.

On January 25, 2014, Li Na beat Cibulkova 2:0 in the Australian Open women’s singles final, becoming the first Asian player to win the Australian Open singles champion. At that time, Zheng Qinwen and a group of young players sat around the TV at the Hanjiang Second Bridge Training Base of the Wuhan Sports Bureau, witnessing this historic moment. The 12-year-old said in an interview: “I also want to stand on the Grand Slam court and compete for the championship in the future.”

Ten years later, Zheng Qinwen got a ticket to the Australian Open final, becoming the second Chinese female tennis player to enter the Grand Slam singles final after Li Na.

Looking at the endorsements, Zheng Qinwen’s sportswear with “Alipay” and “Nike” logos attracted attention. According to incomplete statistics, Zheng Qinwen has already signed contracts with multiple brands such as Yili, Rolex, Nike, etc.

According to Forbes’ list of the highest-paid female athletes in 2023, Zheng Qinwen ranked 15th on the list with an income of 7.2 million US dollars (about 51 million yuan), of which 1.7 million US dollars was prize money, and 5.5 million US dollars was endorsements and other off-court income. Zheng Qinwen also became the first Chinese tennis player to be selected for the list after Li Na.

Just as Li Na’s victory ignited Zheng Qinwen’s dream, Zheng Qinwen’s entry into the Australian Open final must have quietly planted the seed of hope in the heart of a little girl in front of the TV…

Although Zheng Qinwen failed to engrave her name on the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, she has created many historic moments at this Australian Open.

At this Australian Open, Li Na also visited Zheng Qinwen. Zheng Qinwen asked Li Na for advice, and Li Na replied: “If I had your serve, I wouldn’t be afraid of Serena (Serena Williams).”

Zheng Qinwen and Li Na have a lot in common: they are both from Hubei, 20 years apart in age, and both have been coached by Xia Xiyao and Yu Liqiao.

Speaking of Li Na, who had won the French Open, she said bluntly that this predecessor was the source of her dream: “She gave me the dream and let me know that an Asian player, a Chinese player, can also win the Grand Slam.”

Following Li Na’s footsteps, Zheng Qinwen, at the age of 16, had already made a splash in the junior groups of the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, reaching the top16 in all three tournaments.

At the age of 17, Zheng Qinwen’s world ranking was still after 600. Since turning professional in 2022, Zheng Qinwen’s performance has continued to rise, unlocking the quarter-finals of the US Open and the Australian Open in just two years. At the end of 2022, Zheng Qinwen won the 2022 WTA Newcomer of the Year award, receiving 49% of the votes in this award voted by WTA players. This is the first time a Chinese player has won this award. At the end of 2023, Zheng Qinwen was awarded the WTA’s Most Improved Player of the Year, and her rapid progress earned her the nickname “Rocket Girl”.

Before the match, when asked about the difference between her and Li Na’s finals, Zheng Qinwen said that she had watched Li Na’s Grand Slam final, “I watched Li Na’s finals no less than ten times before.” But she also said that her opponent was different. “(Li Na) did not encounter a big-serving opponent in both finals.”

As for whether her career will surpass Li Na, Zheng Qinwen said that everyone is different, and they have different paths to take. “Some people become famous when they are young, and some people have to go through a lot of hardships to get the final trophy.” Zheng Qinwen doesn’t know what her future will be like, what kind of road she will take, and what she can do is to do her best, one game at a time.