Zheng Qinwen’s Winning Streak: Dominating Across Surfaces | China Tennis

Zheng Qinwen defeated Sloane Stephens 6-3, 7-6(3) in the first round of the Credit One Charleston Open on Monday, marking the 19-year-old Chinese player’s first career victory over a Top 50 opponent. The win continued a streak of success for Zheng against the former US Open champion, having previously defeated Stephens at the 2022 Charleston green court and the 2022 Wimbledon grass court.

The Charleston Open victory, confirmed by the WTA, propelled Zheng to the second round of the tournament. She later advanced to the quarterfinals, securing her 13th consecutive victory on clay with a win over Elise Mertens, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, on April 3, 2025, according to CGTN. Zheng attributed her success in that match to the enthusiastic support of the crowd, stating, “I think it’s all of the crowd here because I see everyone here loves tennis and love this atmosphere. And I believe I won this match today because of all of the crowd. If there was no support today, I think I’m dead.”

However, Zheng’s performance at the Charleston Open was not without controversy. Following her win against Mertens, a video surfaced on social media showing Zheng throwing a ball in the direction of a ball kid. The incident, shared by @tennis_gifs, drew comparisons to a similar incident involving Iga Swiatek at Indian Wells. Sports Illustrated reported the ball bounced off a wall and back onto the court.

The incident adds to a pattern of questionable sportsmanship attributed to Zheng, including frosty post-match handshakes and reported issues with officials. In October, she reportedly yelled at a line judge during the Wuhan Open.

As of April 4, 2025, Zheng was ranked No. 8 in the WTA with a 9-5 record. She faced Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarterfinal round of the Charleston Open later that day. Alexandrova was previously a two-time Charleston semifinalist and ranked No. 11 in the world. The Credit One Charleston Open announced preliminary player fields for the 2026 tournament, featuring 12 Top 20 players and five past champions.