Zheng Qinwen eliminated in her Dubai Open debut, facing challenges as she looks to turn things around this new season.
On February 19, Beijing time, China’s tennis star Zheng Qinwen was dramatically overturned by American player Stephens in a 1-2 defeat during the second-round women’s singles match at the WTA 1000 Dubai tournament, ending her campaign in the next round. As the tournament’s No. 7 seed, Zheng had received a first-round bye, making this match her golden opportunity to showcase her skills on Dubai’s court—yet the final result left fans deeply disappointed.
Match Recap: Up and down, narrowly missing out on a great opportunity.
In the first set, Zheng Qinwen was in sensational form, immediately breaking Stosur's serve and then holding her own to quickly take a 2-0 lead. Although Stosur later requested a medical timeout after holding her serve, Zheng remained unfazed, and both players held their next service games without further incident. In the crucial ninth game, Zheng capitalized on her break point opportunity, sealing the break and clinching the set 6-3. Throughout the set, Zheng showcased a strong first-serve percentage, aggressive baseline play, excellent return quality, and solid error management, clearly regaining her competitive edge.
Entering the second set, Zheng Qinwen's form began to fluctuate. She found herself in a tough battle right from the first game, barely managing to hold serve after saving two break points. Meanwhile, Stephens regained her momentum, breaking serve successfully in the third game. From there, both players held their own service games, but Stephens eventually leveled the score at 6-4. Although Zheng Qinwen fired four aces in this set, she committed seven more unforced errors than her opponent. Her declining serve quality and increased mistakes ultimately proved to be the key factors in her loss of the set.
In the deciding set, Zheng Qinwen got off to a shaky start, losing her serve in the very first game. To make matters worse, she injured her finger during play, which clearly affected her performance afterward. Although she managed some impressive moments during the match—such as regaining her serving form at crucial junctures, even delivering an ace on her second serve—and bravely battled on after briefly addressing a right-calf muscle issue at the end of the seventh game, she ultimately fell short, dropping the decider 4-6 and suffering a 1-2 comeback defeat overall.
Struggling in the new season: Eliminated consecutively, leaving their form cause for concern.
Since the start of the 2025 season, Zheng Qinwen has yet to reach her expected form. At the Australian Open, she fell short in the second round after losing to Sigmund, who is ranked No. 97 in the world. Just recently at the WTA 1000 event in Doha, where she received a first-round bye, Zheng was eliminated in the second round by Tunisian star Ons Jabeur. Now, she’s once again been knocked out in her opening match at the Dubai tournament. This means that across the three tournaments she’s played this season, Zheng hasn’t managed to advance past the second round—and has only secured a single victory so far.
For Zheng Qinwen, this result is undoubtedly a major setback. She urgently needs to regain her form in the upcoming tournaments, rediscover her winning rhythm, and rebuild her confidence—while also earning crucial ranking points to maintain her spot among the world’s top eight. After all, dropping in the rankings wouldn’t just jeopardize her seeding in future events; it could also lead to even tougher challenges when she faces stronger opponents down the road.
Future Outlook: Adjust your mindset, refine your skills.
As one of China's leading figures in women's tennis, Zheng Qinwen boasts exceptional skills and formidable strength. In the past, she has achieved numerous impressive results on the court, including finishing as the runner-up in the 2024 Australian Open women's singles, winning the gold medal in women's singles tennis at the Paris Olympics, and claiming multiple tour-level titles—each of which underscores her remarkable talent and competitiveness.
The loss at the Dubai tournament could very well become a valuable lesson on her journey to growth. Moving forward, she needs to calmly reflect on the issues that surfaced during the match—such as serve consistency, clutch-point execution, and stamina management—and address them head-on. By focusing on targeted technical training, she can further strengthen her strengths while actively working to overcome her weaknesses. At the same time, maintaining a positive and optimistic mindset will be crucial as she prepares for the challenges ahead. With determination and resilience, we’re confident that Zheng Qinwen will not only bounce back from this setback but also reclaim her peak form, bringing renewed glory to Chinese tennis on the global stage.
