"I had too much respect for her," Zheng reveals the keys to her victory against Sabalenka

Clément Gehl

le 15/05/2025 à 09h30

1 min to read

Rome Sabalenka Zheng

Qinwen Zheng defeated Aryna Sabalenka for the first time in her career after six unsuccessful attempts. In the post-match press conference, the Chinese player explained that it was primarily a mental victory.

"I’m usually a very confident player, even if sometimes I get poor results. I know that if I focus and commit, I’ll succeed.

Sabalenka—I used to watch her play when I was 14 or 15. I think in our previous matches, I had too much respect for her. I wasn’t facing her like a normal opponent.

I remember going to the China Open in Tianjin in 2017. I was a junior, and I saw her in the final (which she lost to Maria Sharapova). My father was there, telling me I should learn from her forehand and backhand.

I think it took time for me to overcome that respect and treat her like any other player. Today, I’m glad I stayed calm, faced her like a normal opponent, and did what I had to do."

Zheng will face Coco Gauff this Thursday for a spot in the Rome tournament final.