Qinwen Zheng continued her remarkable six-match winning run at Flushing Meadows by staging one of the most stunning comebacks of the tournament. The Olympic champion, who was forced to navigate the qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the main draw, faced a seemingly insurmountable deficit against Madison Keys in the third round. Finding herself trailing 5-0 and facing a match point in the final set against the crowd favourite and 22nd seed, Zheng dug deep to orchestrate a dramatic reversal.
A Dramatic Seven-Game Turnaround
The encounter began with Keys firmly in control, as the 2025 Australian Open champion swept through the opening set in just 23 minutes. Zheng, who is working her way back to peak form following elbow surgery last year, struggled initially to find her rhythm against the hard-hitting American. However, the Chinese star gradually shifted the momentum, clinched a tight second-set tie-break, and eventually completed a stunning 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 victory. Overcome with relief at the conclusion of the match, Zheng collapsed onto the court and reflected on the taxing twelve months she has endured while doubting her ability to return to the top tier.
Zheng admitted that fortune finally smiled upon her after a difficult period, noting that she simply told herself never to give up as things slowly fell into place. Describing tennis as an emotional rollercoaster, she pointed out that players frequently face match points only to engineer improbable turnarounds. With this triumph, the Chinese athlete becomes the first qualifier to advance to the women's fourth round at the US Open since Emma Raducanu captured the title in 2021.
Overcoming Injury and Ranking Struggles
The milestone victory represents a major psychological and physical triumph for Zheng following a harrowing recovery period. Just three months prior, she was reduced to tears during a press conference following an opening-round exit at the French Open. That tournament marked her first Grand Slam appearance since undergoing surgery in July 2025 to repair a chronic elbow injury caused by loose bone fragments. The physical setback arrived on the heels of a breakthrough 2024 campaign that featured a run to the Australian Open final, an Olympic gold medal, and a quarter-final appearance at the US Open.
Having climbed to a career-high ranking of fourth in the world following a strong start to 2025, the extended nine-month layoff and subsequent defeat to Maja Chwalinska in Paris proved deeply frustrating. Her ranking plummeted to 160, compelling her to play in a Grand Slam qualifying event for the first time in four years. Zheng confessed that returning from injury left her feeling drained and momentarily unaccustomed to competitive pressure. Because she returned early to compete in her home tournament in Beijing in October 2025, she missed the six-month threshold required for a protected ranking, leaving her no choice but to fight through the qualifying rounds.
Despite the emotional toll of fighting through qualifying—an ordeal that left her in tears even after winning her final qualifying match—Zheng has rediscovered her resilience in New York, navigating four three-set battles along the way. Her composure under pressure was thoroughly tested against Keys when a baby began crying in the stands while Zheng was preparing to serve at 5-4 and 0-15 down. Maintaining her poise, she joked after the match that while she might have glared at an adult spectator, she could hardly argue with an infant. Zheng promptly swept the next four points to level the set and ultimately secured her historic victory.
