Qinwen Zheng’s old image watching idol Li Na win Australian Open 2014 surfaces as she becomes first Chinese player to reach Olympic singles final

China’s Quinwen Zheng pulled off a massive upset at the 2024 Paris Olympics by defeating World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the women’s singles semi-final. She became the first Chinese player in history to reach an Olympic singles final after a thrilling 6-2, 7-5 win on Thursday (August 1).  

Zheng, the reigning Asian Games champions, put up a remarkable performance against the Polish superstar on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros in a battle that lasted one hour and 51 minutes. The 21-year-old was seen beaming with emotion, joy and pride after achieving a profound milestone that no one from her nation had ever achieved.

She threw her fists up before screaming into the arena and fell to the floor on her back. Zheng arrived in the French capital without high expectations and won one of the biggest matches of her career and ensured she would walk away with a medal at one of the sport's biggest events.

Also Check: WATCH: World number one Iga Swiatek faces shocking defeat in semi-finals against Qinwin Zheng

Meanwhile, following the historic win, an old picture has surfaced online where Zheng can be seen watching her idol Li Na winning the Australian Open 2014 on television. Li Na, a former Chinese player, has been a huge inspiration for Zheng since her childhood. 

Zheng was only five years old when Li Na reached the Olympic semi-finals in Beijing. The former world number two had to depart without a medal after losing the knockouts. Today, Zheng is 21 years old and has guaranteed a medal for China, inspiring the coming generation to pursue their dreams. 

Check out the image below: 

Qinwen Zheng watching Li Na win the Australian Open in 2014. 🥹



Earlier this year, she reached the Australian Open final, but fell short.



When Li Na reached the Olympics semifinals, Qinwen was only 5 years old.



Li Na lost that semifinals match & left Beijing without a medal.… pic.twitter.com/aqyIikbQht

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 1, 2024

Notably, Qinwen Zheng became the first player since 2021 to beat Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros. The Polish player hasn’t lost at the French Open venue in the last three years. Swiatek looked very disappointed as he would have to wait another four years to try and win an Olympic gold medal. 

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