"I hope to be the first Chinese tennis player to win an Olympic singles medal." On October 24, 2023, at the Huafa · Hengqin International Tennis Center, Zheng Qinwen made such a wish in front of the media and fans.

284 days later, in Paris, France, nearly 10,000 kilometers away from Zhuhai, this wish became a reality.

In the early morning of August 4, Beijing time, Zheng Qinwen defeated Croatia's Vekic 2-0 in the women's singles final of the Paris Olympics and won China's first Olympic tennis singles gold medal.

Zheng Qinwen is the first Asian athlete to stand on the top podium of the Olympic Games in tennis, and she has broken the long-term monopoly of Western players in the 128 years since the Olympic Games were held.

This moment, make history!

From Zhuhai to Paris

Zhuhai has witnessed Zheng Qinwen's growth and changes.

Before the Olympic summit showdown, Zheng Qinwen and his opponent Croatia's Vekic had already clashed.

This is the evening of October 25, 2023, Hengqin International Tennis Center, Huafa Technology · Zhuhai WTA Super Elite singles group stage scene, the air is filled with tension. Debutant Chinese player Zheng Qinwen fought hard in three sets to defeat Croatia's Vekic to get off to a good start and lay the foundation for qualifying from the group.

Three days later, on the fifth match day of the 2023 Zhuhai WTA Super Classic, Zheng Qinwen defeated Zhu Lin, who participated with a wild card, and entered the final.

The final on the 29th tightened the audience's heartstrings. Zheng Qinwen appeared on the stage with a bandage on her left leg, and her body was not in the best condition, but she "took painkillers, did not allow herself to be a deserter, and had to give an explanation to herself and the audience." Winning the runner-up with an injury, she showed the tenacious spirit and athleticism of a professional athlete.

After the match, Zheng Qinwen said: "In the limited physical conditions, I tried my best. I felt everyone's enthusiasm for this game and I am very grateful to the fans and the team for their support, which made my stay in Zhuhai a wonderful time. ”

Zheng Qinwen worked hard at the final of the 2023 Huafa Technology · Zhuhai WTA Super Classic.

Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Haoming wrote in the manuscript of "Zheng Qinwen's "No Regrets" after taking painkillers to play": "For Zheng Qinwen, it is not a pity to lose, because in her physical state, being able to finish the game is already a victory." Facing desperate situations several times to turn the tide shows her tenacity, but to pass by the championship with such a close score is not a heart-wrenching pain for an athlete. ”

Wang Dong, a professor in the field of sports event communication at Shanghai Wai Chinese University and a well-known sports media person, who has interviewed and interviewed Zheng Qinwen many times after the game, said that in addition to the label of tenacious struggle, Zheng Qinwen is also a very confident player, and her self-confidence comes from the hard training every day, from the serious review and summary after the game, and from the confidence to speak with results, which also gives her the strength to move forward bravely on the court.

Zheng Qinwen won the runner-up of the 2023 Huafa Technology · Zhuhai WTA Super Classic. Bai Xilin, then Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Tennis Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Chinese Tennis Association, Li Chong, Deputy Mayor of Zhuhai Municipal People's Government, Su Kun, Deputy Director of the Executive Committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and Guo Jin (first from right), Deputy General Manager of Zhuhai Huafa Group Co., Ltd., attended the award ceremony.

The confident mentality of striving for victory made her like a heroic and unyielding warrior in the Olympic arena, creating miracles. After two extremely difficult matches, Zheng Qinwen equalled Li Na's best record at the Olympics and became the second Chinese player to reach the semifinals of the Women's Singles.

The outside world's expectations for Zheng Qinwen almost stopped at this step, no one expected that she would be on a long standby for a long time, and she was like a bamboo in the semifinals, with the style of an undoubted general, defeating the world No. 1 and Poland star Iga · Swiatek. After the double breakthrough of mental and physical fitness, she felt that her body still had a steady stream of energy coming out, "If you let me fight hard for the country for another three hours now, I will immediately shake the racket and go into battle." ”

In the pinnacle final, under the gaze of countless pairs of eyes in France, Zheng Qinwen became his well-deserved Queen.

From China to the world

"It's just fighting, paying tribute to tenacity and tenacity." This is a sentence that Zheng Qinwen wrote on his social media page.

Originally from Hubei, she has many similar experiences in her tennis career, like her predecessor Li Na, and she also has the spirit of not admitting defeat in her bones.

The talent, characteristics and mentality of an elite athlete often take shape at a young age. Zheng Qinwen began to learn to play tennis at the age of 6, and at the age of 9, she watched the 2011 French Open showdown, which inspired countless Chinese fans, and Li Na won the championship in front of the TV.

At that time, Wuhan tennis teaching was already famous because of Li Na, and Zheng Qinwen's parents took her to Wuhan to study under Li Na's enlightenment coach Xia Xiyao with the mentality of giving it a try. Later, he trained with Li Na's Hubei team coach Yu Liqiao. At the 14th Hubei Provincial Games held in 2014, Zheng Qinwen, who was only 12 years old, represented Shiyan in the tennis competition and won two gold medals.

At the Beijing Wheel of Ingenuity Tennis School, Zheng Qinwen studied under Li Na's mentor, the famous coach Carlos · Rodriguez. After four years of training, she has developed into a well-rounded and mature player, competing in the junior competitions of the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, and reaching the round of 16 in all of them.

Because of the support of his family and a more professional tennis environment, Zheng Qinwen went to Spain for professional training at the age of 17, and coach Pere · Riba commented, "I have never seen a player who works so hard as her in my life, and she really wants to reach the top of professional tennis."

An unchanging desire to win is a major reason for her rapid rise.

In 2022, Zheng Qinwen officially competed in the four Grand Slam tournaments, and in his rookie season, he fully unlocked the first round of the four Grand Slams, among which he had the best record at the French Open and successfully entered the fourth round. In her first season after switching to Women's Tennis Association (WTA) events, Zheng rose more than 100 places in the world rankings and was named WTA Rookie of the Year.

In a year and a half, Zheng Qinwen has risen nearly 600 places in the world rankings and is known as the "Rocket Girl." At the beginning of this year, Zheng Qinwen ushered in the first peak of his career, reaching the final of the Australian Open and winning the runner-up, reaching a maximum of 7th in the world, becoming one of the leading figures in Chinese tennis.

From Good Girl to "Queen Wen"

Keep training, keep summarizing, and constantly improve your skills...... During the training of the 2023 Huafa Technology · Zhuhai WTA Super Elite Tournament, Zheng Qinwen's self-discipline and focus impressed the staff of Huafa Sports Company very much.

Zheng Qinwen attended the organizing committee of the 2023 Huafa Technology · Zhuhai WTA Super Elite Tournament.

Huafa Sports Company provides players with the whole process of services from venue booking to food, accommodation and transportation, and the project manager Li Chunling particularly admires Zheng Qinwen's hard work, "She arrived a few days earlier than other players, and she is very focused on training every day.

At the sharing meeting held at Huafa Yuechao Bookstore, Zheng Qinwen once chatted with the audience about reading psychology books, especially recommended "Breaking the Circle" that he was reading recently, "For athletes, it is impossible to win the championship every time, and more often than not, they have to learn how to accept failure." The feeling of failure is indeed painful, and I have experienced it many times, and books can give me solace and help me get back up again and meet a better version of myself. ”

Kong Dechao from Huafa Sports Company is the host of the sharing meeting, and he commented that Zheng Qinwen is a very charismatic and "special" player. "Because traditional Chinese players are more modest and introverted, she gives people the feeling of domineering and temperament on the field, just like the other nickname 'QUEEN WEN' given to her by fans who love her, and she is like a little girl off the court, lively and cheerful, friendly and real. So it's very impressive. Zheng Qinwen not only shared his reading experience, impressions of Zhuhai, career goals, etc., but also interacted with fans with humor, and the scene was full of laughter.

At the sharing meeting held at Huafa Yuechao Bookstore, Zheng Qinwen interacted cordially with the fans.

News Background

In fact, in addition to Zheng Qinwen, in recent years, a number of world-class players such as Murray and Vekic have left their mark on Zhuhai's hard work.

A sports event is not only a stage for competition, but also a window to show the city's brand image. From the WTA Super Classic in Zhuhai, the Zhuhai Tennis Championships, the ITF Women's Tennis Tour to the International Professional Men's Tennis Challenge, the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wild Card Tournament and more, the city is now one of the most active tennis venues in China.

In 2015, co-sponsored by the Chinese Tennis Association and the Zhuhai Municipal People's Government, the first Zhuhai WTA Super Elite Tournament hosted by Huafa Group and operated by Huafa Sports Company was successfully held, and the event has been held for six sessions so far, according to incomplete statistics, a total of 144 top female players at home and abroad participated, with a total of more than 220,000 viewers.

According to survey data, the Zhuhai WTA Super Classic has created a cumulative economic value of 3.365 billion yuan in the past 10 years, and generated a total of 4.358 billion US dollars in global media influence.

Lv Pinde, chairman and general manager of Zhuhai Huafa Sports Operation Management Co., Ltd., said that providing good services for Chinese athletes and helping them to achieve better results at the "doorstep" is an important goal of Huafa Sports to host important international events for many years. "The higher the level of the tournament we organize, the higher the level of players who can come to the tournament, and the more it will help them to challenge their goals of international professional competitions, and become the cradle for these first-class players to become world No. 1 or Grand Slam titles."

In addition, the comprehensive and multi-level continuous holding of the tournament has integrated tennis into the city of Zhuhai and become a part of the city's life. Lv Pinde said that after nearly ten years of cultivation and development, Huafa Group has driven a significant increase in the tennis population in Zhuhai. "It is not only a good impetus for the tennis atmosphere of Zhuhai, but also a good promotion for the image of Zhuhai, and tennis has gradually become a shining city card of Zhuhai."

Authors: Wu Feng, Zhang Ziwei, Hua Xuan