Zheng Qinwen: "There were moments when I didn't take certain tournaments seriously"

After a rollercoaster start to the season, Zheng Qinwen hopes to regain confidence. A quarterfinalist at the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells, the Chinese player, ranked 9th in the world, is struggling to digest her very strong 2024 season, which saw her reach the finals of the Australian Open and the WTA Finals, where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, respectively.

She also won the Olympic gold medal in Paris, defeating the heavy favorite Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. Speaking to the media at the Miami Open, where Zheng Qinwen will face Lauren Davis, the 22-year-old reflected on her past year and believes there are many lessons to learn from her on-court experiences in recent months.

"I would simply say that my 2024 season had a lot of ups and downs, good and bad moments. There is so much to learn. Obviously, the final in Riyadh (at the WTA Finals) was good for me, but I could have done better in the final. There were many important points I didn't win, but that's tennis.

Overall, I would say my 2024 year was quite good. I struggled for a few months because there were moments when I lost some motivation and didn't take certain tournaments seriously. During training, I was quite relaxed, maybe too much.

I made it to the Australian Open final and thought, 'Ah, I should have done better at that time.' When I look back, I tell myself, 'Come on, you need to stay focused all the time.'

Generally, I was satisfied with my performances, and after the final in Riyadh, I didn't want to stop playing. But you know, tennis doesn't work like that. If you're not at 100%, it can be tough sometimes.

When you don't spend a lot of time on the court, there's always someone who will train more than you, someone who wants it more than you. It's all about being dedicated to this sport. Stay focused on your training all the time, no matter the result you get.

Whether you win a big event or lose a first-round match, keep training over and over. And in the end, that's the only way you'll achieve consistent performances," the Chinese player explained on the WTA website.