Zheng Qinwen Photo: VCG

Zheng Qinwen Photo: VCG

China’s tennis ace Zheng Qinwen rallied from a set down to defeat former Australian Open champion Madison Keys 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the third round at the WTA 1000 Miami Open on Sunday in the US.

With this victory, Zheng has now beaten two former Grand Slam champions in succession at the tournament, advancing to the round of 16 in Miami for the third time in her career. Earlier, she had eased past former US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 in the second round. 

This marked Zheng’s first victory over a world top-20 player since 2025’s French Open. The 23-year-old underwent right elbow surgery in July following a first-round loss at Wimbledon and has since withdrawn from multiple tournaments. 

She will take on World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the round of 16. It will be the ninth meeting between the two. So far, the 27-year-old Belarusian has dominated their matchups with a 7-1 record against Zheng. 

After her 2-hour, 17-minute win over Keys, Zheng said she struggled to keep up with the pace coming at her from Keys’ shots over the first set and early in the second and that she hoped for a long run at the tournament. 

“It wasn’t at all easy to win this match. Keys played incredible tennis. Her hitting was just like a bomb for me at the beginning and I couldn’t react for a long time. It took me some time to adapt to it,” Zheng told the WTA after the game. 

“It’s nice to compete with all of the girls on the Tour. My body likes pressure. During the six months when I went without pressure, I felt my life was so boring without tennis. I just love tennis,” she said. 

It was a statement win for Zheng, who is on her way back to high-level tennis, Liu Yu, a ­Beijing-based sport commentator, told the Global Times. 

“She missed a large portion of the 2025 season and even experienced setbacks during her initial return. Now, her serve is back and her overall physical condition has improved,” said Liu. 

Zheng struck 31 winners and fired 11 aces throughout the match, while saving 10 break points.

Meanwhile, another notable point for fans is Zheng’s adoption of a dual-coach setup at this tournament.

The Olympic champion added 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus to her coaching team in March. 

Baghdatis complements, rather than replaces, her long-time coach Pere Riba. His experience as a former top 10 player adds match-play insight and mentality guidance, Liu said. 

“I always wanted to add a second coach. Riba and I have been working together for five years and he has helped me a lot. Marcos has just joined since the Indian Wells. I hope we can work well together,” she said. 

“Actually, I’ve always wanted to try making some changes to my technique to reach a higher level and I hope their collaboration this time can bring me a new and different experience. Right now, we are still in the trial phase. At the beginning, when a new team member joins, it’s definitely not easy. But I believe they can work well together,” Zheng noted.