Chinese qualifier Qinwen Zheng has knocked former champion Iga Swiatek out of the US Open after recovering from a sluggish start to reach the quarter-finals.
The world No.121 was four points away from being bagelled in the first set before turning the match around to win 7-5, 6-3 against an in-form Swiatek, who had won 14 out of 15 tour-level matches coming into the clash. It is the first time Zheng has reached the last eight of a major event since undergoing elbow surgery last year and the third time she has done so at the US Open during her career. In the Open Era, no Chinese player has reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows more times than her.
“I tried to play more aggressively. I remember when I just came on the tour, the match I lost against her was because I wasn’t aggressive enough, and I tried to stay with her as long as I could,” Zheng said of her match tactics used against the former world No.1.
The opening set was an extraordinary encounter with Swiatek looking to be firmly in control as she raced to a 5-0 lead with relative ease, capitalising on a series of mistakes from her opponent. However, her stronghold slowly evaporated as Zheng fought back to draw level, saving three set points across two games. The turn of events continued with the reigning Olympic champion breaking once again before serving the set out to love.
This was not the first time Zheng has come back from the brink. In her previous match, she was also down 5-0, but in the deciding set. She also saved a match point before beating Madison Keys.
The problems continued to mount for Swiatek in the second frame when she took a medical timeout for treatment on her upper left leg three games in before failing to convert back-to-back break points that would have seen her lead 4-2. As for Zheng, she continued to work her way to the finish line with the help of a four-game winning streak.
“I started the match not so well,” Zheng admits.
“I just focused point by point, and I started to play better. I started to find my game, and in one moment, I even forgot the score in the 1st set at 4-5, that shows how focused I was.”
A former Grand Slam finalist and world No.4, Zheng has dropped down in the rankings following elbow surgery that sidelined her for a large chunk of last season. She then retired from her comeback tournament at the end of 2025 before starting another return earlier this season.
“The more matches I play, the more rhythm I get on court,” she said.
“People often ask me if I am tired. I’m not tired at all. I just feel really pumped for my next match, trying to reach a better level.”
Zheng is the first qualifier to reach the last eight of the US Open since Emma Raducanu in 2021.
Late injury overshadows Andreeva’s win
Mirra Andreeva continued her quest to become the first woman since 2022 to win both the French Open and US Open in the same year with a gut-busting victory over Anastasia Potapova. The Russian fifth seed battled from a set down to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. She is the first teenager to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal on all three surfaces since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.
The marathon clash ended in unfortunate circumstances with Potapova injuring herself during the last game. The Russian-born Austrian hyperextended her leg and required immediate medical attention. Potapova was treated and had taping placed around her leg, but she struggled to move on court.
“In the last game, seeing her fall was not easy because I can imagine what she’s going through,” Andreeva said afterwards.
“It’s not the way you want to finish the match.”
At the end of their clash, Andreeva provided her friend with plenty of words of encouragement.
“I just told her that she’s been playing amazing. She’s been having one of the best seasons, and I’m sure that she’s gonna come back even stronger because she’s a warrior. I think that she’s even a better fighter than me,” she said.
Andreeva is playing in only her fourth US Open main draw.
