China’s Zheng Qinwen has won the 2026 China Open, defeating Russia’s Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the women’s singles final in Beijing on October 11. The victory makes Zheng the first Chinese woman to win the singles title since the tournament began in 2004, delivering a historic result before her home crowd. According to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the 24-year-old wildcard entrant secured the championship in straight sets after a contest lasting approximately one hour and 43 minutes, overcoming the fourth seed to claim her first WTA 1000 crown.
The final tested Zheng’s composure, particularly in the opening set, when she recovered from a difficult position and saved three set points before turning the contest around to win 7-5. She maintained the momentum in the second set, breaking Andreeva late before serving out the match with an ace. Reuters reported that Zheng’s powerful groundstrokes and ability to capitalise on her opponent’s errors proved decisive. The victory is also her first tournament title since winning in Tokyo in October 2024, ending a drought that followed elbow surgery in 2025 and a prolonged struggle to regain form and fitness.
Ranked world number 54 entering the tournament, Zheng’s triumph marks a significant return for the reigning Olympic champion, who previously reached a career-high ranking of world number four. The WTA reported that the China Open title is the sixth of her professional tour career and her first at the WTA 1000 level. Andreeva, meanwhile, reached her first final at the Beijing tournament and is projected to rise to a career-high world number three following her run. Zheng’s victory gives Chinese tennis a landmark home-court success and strengthens her comeback narrative as both players turn their attention to the Wuhan Open.
