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Zheng Qinwen recently revealed that she was unaware of her WTA Finals qualification scenario while skipping events earlier in the year. She said she complained to her team about it but, as of now, she cannot do anything about it other than giving her best in the remaining tournaments.
During a recent interview ahead of the 2024 China Open, Zheng mentioned her Australian Open runner-up finish and claimed she missed tournaments after her success Down Under while unaware of her WTA Finals qualification scenario.
Zheng believes she missed out on crucial points early on in the season which has left her under pressure at the tail end.
“It’s really funny I made the final of Australian Open but after that I didn’t take some tournaments seriously & didn’t get enough points. Judging from the points I have, it’s difficult for me to make the finals this year,” Zheng Qinwen said (translated from Mandarin).
“I even complained to the team for not telling me earlier about the qualification of the WTA Finals. Now I feel the pressure but I cannot do anything. All I can do is give my best in the competitions.”
Zheng appeared in all WTA 1000 events apart from the Canadian Open in August. She made quarterfinal runs in two of those events - the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships and the Italian Open. The Chinese player participated in all the Grand Slams, notably finishing runner-up at the Australian Open and reaching the quarterfinals at the US Open.
Zheng is currently ranked ninth in the WTA Race to Riyadh with 3,070 points and faces an uphill task to qualify for the WTA Finals based on points. According to the new qualification rules, only the top 7 in the rankings automatically qualify based on points.
The eighth and final spot will be assigned to the highest-ranked Grand Slam winner this year (ranked between 8-20). As it stands, Barbora Krejcikova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, will occupy the eighth spot granted she maintains her ranking (currently ranked 11th).
Zheng Qinwen looks on the positive side of playing at home during China Open 2024
During a press conference ahead of the 2024 China Open, Zheng Qinwen was asked about the pressure of playing at home. The Paris Olympics gold medalist stated that she does not focus on the pressure and instead sees the support she will receive.
"I think I don't consider that like big pressure. I will consider it like big support. Especially when I am feeling down, I see all the people's support on me," Zheng Qinwen said.
"It is quite different to play in China compared to rest of the world. I know basically all of them, going to be 95% of the crowd, they are going to support me. It is a big confidence. There's also a big energy there when I'm playing on court," she added.
Fifth-seed Zheng has received a bye in the first round of the China Open and she will face either Kamilla Rakhimova or Kimberly Birrell in the second round.
