On October 10, Zheng Qinwen of China beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 7-5, 6-2 in the women’s singles semi-final of the 2026 China Open. She reached the China Open women’s singles final for the first time. Zheng became the first homegrown player and the first wildcard entrant to make the women’s singles final in the tournament’s history, setting a new best record for Chinese players. She took an early lead, held her ground after being pulled level, and claimed the first set. She dominated the second set to seal victory. As a wildcard, she won six straight matches, defeating several tough rivals. Mertens had knocked out three Grand Slam champions before this semi-final.

After the match, Zheng said the China Open felt like her fifth Grand Slam and thanked the home crowd. She has found her ideal playing rhythm and will face French Open champion Mirra Andreeva of Russia in the final. Plagued by injuries, her ranking once dropped outside the top 100. With tough training and mental adjustment, she climbed back to No. 28 after this win.