Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen has made a thrilling comeback to her professional career at the 2026 Qatar Open. On Monday, February 9, Zheng defeated Australia Open 2020 winner Sofia Kenin of America by sets of 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Chinese player returned to professional tennis in September 2025. Advancing to the second round, she will next face Alycia Parks.
Ranked world No. 26, Zheng, post-match victory expressed her excitement about producing a strong comeback performance in her first tournament of the season and is ready for more ahead.
Zheng said, “When you come back from injury, it’s never totally pain-free. But generally I believe my elbow is in a good process because I could feel it. I’m in a really good stage, and I can keep going for another two hours serving.”
Meanwhile, fifth seed Mirra Andreeva defeated Poland’s Magda Linette by sets of 7-6 (7/0), 6-1 to move into the round of 16 match. The tournament featured many notable names ending in disappointing performances. The list included third seed Amanda Anisimova, who lost her match to Karolina Pliskova in the third set. Former US Open Grand Slam champion Emma Raducanu also suffered an exit after retiring in her match against Camila Osorio.
On Tuesday, the top two seeds, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, will play their first match of the tournament in the round of 32. Meanwhile, fourth seed Coco Gauff will play her singles match after failing to win the doubles match alongside rising star Victoria Mboko on Monday.
Previously, Zheng decided to withdraw from the 2026 Australian Open after announcing it on her social media page. The 23-year-old made her Grand Slam success at the 2024 edition of the Australian Open. Zheng finished as runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka and ended the season in good form at the WTA Finals before losing the title match against Coco Gauff.
Zheng has been struggling with injuries since the 2025 season, losing two Grand Slam appearances, including her withdrawal from the US Open due to an elbow injury.
Zheng, who was a former world No. 4, has a current WTA ranking of No. 24 due to her absence from major tournaments, excluding one, since Wimbledon.
Talking about her health concerns, Zheng had previously revealed, “Although my recovery is progressing well and my offseason has gone smoothly, to play a Grand Slam requires players to maintain an extreme competitive condition. Currently, I have not yet reached the best condition that I have set for myself.”
The win at the Qatar Open has given Zheng quite the boost needed for her 2026 campaign, which has just begun.
