Zheng beats Andreeva to win historic China Open title

Zheng Qinwen won the China Open on Sunday, defeating Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the final to claim her first WTA 1000 title and become the tournament’s first Chinese woman champion at that level. The victory in Beijing was Zheng’s first title since she won in Tokyo in late 2024. The Olympic champion secured the final with an ace, completing the straight-sets win over the French Open champion. Zheng, who entered the tournament as a wild card, is the first Chinese player to win the China Open, according to reports on the result. The opening set was closely contested. Andreeva moved ahead 5-4 and had three set points, but Zheng saved them, held serve and broke Andreeva to take the set 7-5. The players stayed level through much of the second set. At 4-4, Zheng earned a break and then held serve to close out the match, 6-4. The title marks a major return for Zheng after an injury-interrupted period. She had climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 4 last year before her position fell to No. 54 ahead of the Beijing tournament, according to one report. Another report said an elbow injury to her dominant right arm kept her out for nearly six months.