Zheng Qinwen makes ‘forget’ Olympic admission as she outlines WTA Finals target
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen insists she wants to “forget” about her Olympic gold medal and focus solely on her push to reach the WTA Finals.
Qinwen, who reached the Australian Open final back in January and also won the WTA 250 event in Palermo, currently sits ninth in the WTA Race to Riyadh on 3,070 points.
However, the Chinese star will need to finish in the top seven to ensure a maiden appearance at the Finals.
New rules introduced for 2024 mean that any Grand Slam champion is guaranteed a spot if they finish inside the top 20; Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova is currently in 11th position.
Focus on Qinwen in recent months has been on her stunning Paris 2024 triumph, but she insists she wants to now look directly ahead and push on across the Asian swing.
“It’s been a while,” said Zheng on her Olympic triumph.
“I’m not going to take my gold medal everywhere I go. I want to focus on the China Open, the tournament.
“I will forget what I have achieved in the Olympics because I have to be grounded in each match.
“Now I find it a little bit challenging going into the Finals. Indeed, I need good points from these two tournaments.
“I was asking my team, `Why do you make me so anxious right now?’ I know I’m feeling the pressure going into the Finals. I have to make sure that I play well here.”
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The 21-year-old will be among the biggest, if not the biggest, star across the Asian swing.
Qinwen begins her China Open campaign in Beijing later this week, and she will then play at another WTA 1000 event in Wuhan.
For some, home pressure can be crushing – but she is ready to embrace what lies in wait.
She added: “I can just tell you like this: After US Open, first thing come in my mind is the China tour, China Open, Wuhan Open.
“People start to get tired at the end of the season. For me it’s different. I’m really motivated to come play in China, in front of my people. I know they’re going to support me.
“I’m quite fresh for all those tournaments because I have big expectations because last year for the Asian Games, I was not able to prepare well in the China Open. But this year I had a good preparation.
“Coming back to China I see more people recognizing me. When I was at the airport, people wouldn’t recognize me if they’re not interested in tennis. My fame was only within the tennis circle.
“But now when I go to a restaurant, people ask me for autographs. I feel the impact. I feel a sense of responsibility now here in China.”
