Zheng Qinwen has secured her place in the US Open quarter-finals with a remarkable victory over former champion Iga Swiatek, marking the second time she has won a set after trailing 5-0 at the tournament.
The 23-year-old Olympic champion, who recently dropped out of the world’s top 100 following elbow surgery in July 2025, displayed resilient form on Arthur Ashe Stadium. She defeated the eighth seed Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the last eight.
This result mirrors her third-round performance against Madison Keys, where Zheng also came back from 5-0 down to win seven straight games. Against Swiatek, she fought back to win 13 of the next 16 games in the first set. In the second set, Zheng broke Swiatek’s serve in the seventh and tenth games, sealed by a powerful backhand return winner, to complete the upset.
Winning her seventh consecutive match in New York, including three rounds of qualifying, Zheng is now on the verge of re-entering the world’s top 50. She will face either Naomi Osaka or Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals.
“The more matches I play, the more rhythm I have on court,” Zheng said. “People have asked me if I’m tired and when I arrived I was not tired at all. I felt really pumped for my match, trying to reach better levels here and enjoy this fantastic stadium.”
Elsewhere in the draw, Mirra Andreeva reached the last eight for the first time at the US Open after recovering from a first-set deficit against Austria’s Anastasia Potapova.
Who is she facing next? If it’s Rybakina, this quarter-final promises to be an absolute blockbuster match.
I still can’t believe she came back from 5-0 down twice in one tournament. That’s mental toughness on another level.
That backhand winner to seal the set was pure magic. Zheng is playing with such confidence right now!