Inside weeks of Zheng dropping to Sabalenka’s forehand at Flushing Meadows for the primary time, her coach, Wim Fissette, ditched her for four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka. Osaka went out within the first spherical in Melbourne. Zheng nonetheless struggles to say Fissette’s title. “I don’t need to discuss this particular person,” she mentioned after profitable gold on the Asian Video games.
Zheng celebrates match level on Thursday. Credit score: Getty
However she does need to discuss Li, the Chinese language tennis legend whom she watched on TV take out the Australian Open in 2014. Li spurred generational funding in tennis in China – rising the sport that had at all times performed second paddle to desk tennis to fifteen million gamers, and nearly single-handedly making a profitable new income stream for the WTA.
On Wednesday, Li slapped Zheng on the bum as she snuck via a press convention to satisfy her for the primary time.
Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen (again proper) watching Li Na play in 2014.Credit score: Xinhua
“When Sister Na received the Grand Slam championship I started to assume that we, Chinese language and Asians, can even accomplish that properly in tennis and have the chance to compete with high gamers,” Zheng mentioned.
Li’s legend comes up so typically {that a} reporter apologised for the inevitable comparability.“No worries,” she mentioned, “we love her”.
Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen on the duvet of GQ Sports activities journal. Credit score: GQ
However few are asking concerning the different member of Li’s technology of China’s “golden flowers”, Peng Shuai, one in all solely 4 Chinese language ladies to make a Grand Slam semi-final, who disappeared for months in 2021 after making sexual assault allegations in opposition to former Chinese language vice premier Zhang Gaoli.
Peng was final seen in public on the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The WTA mentioned it had been assured she was dwelling safely together with her household, however the dealing with of the episode and the return of Ladies’s Tennis to China final yr for a multi-million greenback money injection has raised inevitable questions concerning the mixture of politics, human rights, and cash in one in all its largest markets.
“The message actually is, ‘For those who converse out, irrespective of how distinguished you might be, in case you converse critically of sure officers you will be in peril’,” Yaqiu Wang, the senior China researcher for Human Rights Watch mentioned after Peng disappeared. “No one is secure. Your fame, your star standing doesn’t matter.”
Till Friday, Chinese language state media had been comparatively muted on Zheng’s surge via the Australian Open draw. Peng and by extension, Chinese language tennis, had gone via a protracted interval of turmoil since her explosive allegations in opposition to one of many Chinese language authorities’s highest-ranking officers.
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It now has a brand new hero in its sights. Zheng has put her patriotism on full show in Australia. On January 2 she wrapped herself in a Chinese language flag on Cottesloe Seaside in Perth. Three weeks later she could be throughout the opposite facet of the nation on Rod Laver Area.
“Thanks to all my Chinese language associates. I like to see all of the Chinese language flags right here,” she mentioned after her victory on Thursday.
In Wuhan, her household and associates watched on the Hubei Olympic Sports activities Centre as she stormed into the ultimate. It was the identical metropolis from which hundreds of followers watched one other favorite daughter of Hubei, Li, as she received the Australian Open 10 years in the past.
“Mystic oriental metaphysics from Hubei,” mentioned fan Minh Syeung. “The Australian Open is the everlasting blessed land of Hubei ladies. Little Zheng, be happy and battle with braveness on Saturday. You don’t have anything to lose.”
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