Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen expressed her determination to avoid past mistakes, aiming for a strong performance at the US Open after securing China's inaugural tennis singles gold in Paris. The 21-year-old has previously experienced a decline in form following major tournaments, a pattern she is keen to break to achieve her first Grand Slam victory. Zheng overcame the initial challenge by rallying from a set behind to beat American Amanda Anisimova in New York on Monday. "It's the kind of match I usually lose, especially after a significant victory, as I tend to get overly confident," Zheng admitted.
"This time, I'm reminding myself not to let that happen. I need to keep working hard and maintain a stable mindset," she added. Zheng is familiar with the scenario of underperforming shortly after major successes. Her quarterfinal run at last year's US Open was followed by an early exit at the China Open, and her Australian Open final appearance this year was marred by a lackluster showing at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. "I've had this experience before. So after my success in the Olympic Games, I told myself that everything starts from zero. You're no longer the Olympic champion," Zheng reflected.
"Stay humble and work hard, fight in every match. If you don't fight, you're likely to lose," she advised. Zheng is set to compete against Russian Erika Andreeva in the second round.
